Fact Check This: Quality Of Life Is Up Sharply Under Trump
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
Good Times: When Trump rattled off a series of economic successes in his State of the Union, he could have added one more. The public's quality of life has improved sharply in the past two years.
"We have created 5.3 million new jobs and, importantly, added 600,000 new manufacturing jobs," Trump said at one point in this address. "Wages are rising at the fastest pace in decades ... . Unemployment has reached the lowest rate in half a century. African-American, Hispanic-American and Asian-American unemployment have all reached their lowest levels ever recorded. Unemployment for Americans with disabilities has also reached an all-time low."
Unemployment at historic lows? Wages climbing at a fast pace? Who knew? The news media, fixated on Trump scandals, hasn't exactly been broadcasting that good news. And media fact checkers busied themselves after the speech nitpicking Trump's economic boasts.
But the upbeat assessment clearly resonated with the public, most of whom gave Trump's speech top marks. Turns out they have been firsthand witnesses to the strength of the economy over the past two years.
How do we know? Look at the IBD/TIPP Quality of Life Index, which asks the public whether they think their quality of life will be better, worse or the same over the next six months.
In the 17 years IBD has been compiling this index, it's averaged 56.2. Under President Obama, it averaged just 53.7. Even if you only include Obama's second term, it was well below the 17-year average.
Under Trump? The Quality of Life Index has averaged 59.3. That's a 10% increase over the average during the Obama years.
To be sure, there's a partisan element to this. Republicans tend to rate their quality of life higher than Democrats when there's a Republican in the White House, and vice versa. But look at independents: Their quality of life averaged 52 under Obama. It's averaging 58.8 under Trump — a 13% bump.
What' more, the gains are across the board. Households making from $35,000 to $50,000, for example, saw an 8% gain in this index when you compare Trump to Obama. Those making from $50,000 to $75,000, an 11% gain.
We see the same phenomenon with the IBD/TIPP Economic Optimism Index, which has been in positive territory — over 50 — since Trump's been president. It averaged only 46.8 under Obama.
The public is clearly giving Trump credit for the turnaround. While his overall approval ratings hover around 40%, he regularly gets much higher marks for his handling of the economy in the IBD/TIPP poll.
Our guess is that if the press were to let up even a little on the 24/7 criticism of Trump, and spend some time reporting on what's happening in the economy, Trump would get higher ratings on both measures.
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And from the same source, only two days earlier:
Unlike other measures, the Quality of Life Index has been relatively steady over the past 17 years.
Seems the writer of the IBD article failed to read the IBD article from two days previous.
From Pew Research:
For most U.S. workers, real wages have barely budged in decades
Purchasing power is basically where it was in 1964 for the average household. And now that Trump's tax cut is showing it's true face as a tax increase, life won't get any better soon.
How many times have you reminded us that polls are useless?
Remember Hillary? The polls said she was going to win the last Presidential election, no contest, because the polls said so.....almost unanimously.
How can you possibly trust any poll now?
My guess is that some in the media feel an obligation to report on a pathological liar.
Here's a tip for you HA, Trump will never be "let up on". Nor is there the slightest reason why he should be "let up on".
If he had a shred of decency he would resign tomorrow morning and stop embarrassing the hell out of this country every day.
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that's funny...
if trump keeps this pace he will oversee the creation of pert near 20million jobs in 8yrs
and beat obamas 8yr job creation numbers in just 4yrs.
newsflash.... people vote for the economy, not the gossip.
some might say, obama just set the bar so low that even trump could jump over it.
I'm sure putin is just thrilled about our economy, stronger military, and generally happier people
So, you are saying that Deripaska is not pleased?
FSB home base?
Which is nothing.
And if that were really the case, Canada would be screaming right now.
Nice that somebody will. I am retired/disabled military living on a fixed income and I have to pay on both state and feferal. The new tax deal screwed me...
Badfish. Off topic my butt.
Nope. That is the only topic that matters.
I see you've forgotten 'the topic' already.
Breath mints? As required I suppose.
Americas standard of living is not improving. To suggest that it is---is pure propaganda. Water systems, sewage systems, roads and many other structural things are failing.
Well, they are expending money on highways like drunken sailors whether it's on 35, 820, 287, 45 or the new ( awesome, but expensive) express lanes throughout Dallas Fort Worth.
TXDOT is taking flying bridges and ramps to new levels.
But as a state? The regular surface roads are miserable, and as a long term PA resident, I know miserable.
Texas? South Carolina's maintenance of sand roads is better than the average residential street/road in Texas.
I have lived in over 9 states and Texas is the least impressive, especially for a state that lacks any appreciable snowfall or tectonic activity.
No wonder that there are more than 4 million pickup trucks in TX already and that number keeps growing.
(We don't want to be second to CA in anything, lol)
If someone else's butt is handing you a breath mint....
Not sure what Ace Ventura has to do with the irony that a butt would give someone a breath mint it's really gotta be bad.
I know that...and you asked if his butt was handing out breath mints....I thought. "Man! Someone's breath has to really be bad if a butt is handing you a breath mint"
one would have to be deaf, dumb, and blind not to see that from a mile away.
the silence from antifa and blm since trump was elected is priceless.
seen any cities burning lately? not since obama was in office... go figure... LOL
and the cure was so simple.
step 1 - no more taxpayer dollars to violent leftwingnuts
step 2- no more support from a corrupt doj for violent leftwingnuts
step 3 - just lock them up
it is amazing how quiet things have gotten since the lefts brownshirts got defunded and charged with felonies...
You don't see antifa because the "fine people" of unite the white got their asses kicked and the leaders fled as well as went bankrupt.
No assholes, no antifa.
Yeah, sure you do.
There are a few things I don't like but the economy has been doing great,