What matters is not how the economy preforms, but how well the candidates are able to frame economic issues in terms that are favorable to them. To date, Republicans have been more successful in it than Democrats. Republicans portray economic issues as moral issues that resonate with many US-ers, whereas Democrats portray economic issues as a laundry list put together by pundits and lobbyists.
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How have Republicans been more successful? People really aren't buying their austerity at any expense attack on entitlements (despite the framing). While I somewhat agree that framing matters, I don't take it to be the end all be all. There is a limit to the ability of the right to frame all economic problems as the result of high taxes and despite their greatest efforts the public thinks taxes should be raised on the wealthy and corporations (as a moral issue of shared sacrifice). I agree that Obama and the Dems could be making much more hay with this fact and perhaps don't due to their donor base. It isn't at all clear to me that the right has locked up the moral argument about the economy. Especially if you look at state races and the proposals/laws put forward by the right in those places. I know folks don't like to make a case for Republican over reach as a building block for the left, but that doesn't mean it isn't happening.
Brad