All's Quiet on the Economic Front

Strangely quiet, in fact. It's another thing I just don't get, I suppose.

A few elections ago, the Democratic Party ran with the slogan, "It's the economy, stupid." Huh. Funny how political talk these days in major news outlets and from Democrats in general is incredibly silent about the economy.

For an issue that was of the utmost importance a few years ago (while stormclouds were gathering unnoticed in preparation for a war against the United States by Islamic radicals), it apparently doesn't figure very high in Bush's approval ratings these days -- the last poll I saw showed an approval rating of a mere 32%.

Yet right now, unemployment is low, stocks are high, wages are up, and consumer spending is up. All that negative talk about how bad or ineffective for the economy Bush's unusual tax rebates would be has been quiet, as Bush's administration smoothly led the country out of a recession handed to him by his predecessor.

And so, as the economy flourishes practically unnoticed in political circles, Bush's approval rating continues to suffer because he is keeping his word to the nation, the world, and the people of Iraq. Strange -- in my book, it's a good thing when someone, especially a politician, has the guts to keep his word, even if it's unpopular. And if he's able to develop economic policies that bring the country out of recession and lead it into some of the strongest positions it's had in decades, all the better. I've said it before, and I'll go into more detail later, but I have grave concerns about some of the decisions made by the Bush administration. But those concerns cannot negate my acknowledgement of the things he's done well.

I don't know how history will judge this President yet, or what God would say if he stood before His throne. I don't know if Bush will go down as the President who opened the door for unprecedented oppression of state-defined enemies of the state or if he'll be known as the man who saved modern Western civilization by being one of the few political leaders willing to take an active, confrontational stand against global terrorism.

I guess the state of the U.S. economy probably will just be a footnote in the history books when they're written. But I tire of the hypocrisy -- "Give us politicians with character, who will stand for what they believe in, even if it's unpopular -- so long as it is popular with us!" And, "It's the economy, stupid -- and we're glad you're stupid enough to notice that it's only the economy when economic issues benefit our party."