Why am I seeing this line only now? (The Economist)

[Grins]

I just saw this line while watching Bill Maher's show over the weekend. So I looked it up. And found it.

"An economy with an unemployment rate of 4%, and a per-person GDP of $85,000, does not have to be made great again; it is great." - The Economist, 17 October 2024.

The title of The Economist story: "The Envy of the World: America's Economy is Bigger and Better Than Ever."

And The Economist is a very conservative publication!

Why didn't the Harris campaign or DNC jump on this a day after it came out - 18-DAYS AGO?

You need a subscription in order to read it, but here it is:
Link: https://www.economist.com/leaders/2024/10/17/americas-economy-is-bigger-and-better-than-ever

NB: Three days earlier, The Economist:

"The envy of the world! The American economy has left other rich countries in the dust. Expect that to continue."

To which one can only say, "Thank you, Brandon!"

[GenThePerservering]

1. They're more centrist

They WERE very Tory during the Thatcher years, but as younger, more aware writers (starting @ Blair) have been on board it has moved - it's now a mixture.

[Ramsey Barner]

2. They also seem to base their opinions on hard data.

[dsp3000]

3. Their instagram news feed is filled with clickbait articles about Dems in disarray and how harris could get wiped out

[DeepWinter]

8. I've always considered The Economist

very liberal. At least solid left of center. It's the very last news magazine I trust.

[Hope22]

4. I think Lawrence O'Donnell has been saying this all along. N/t

[TommyT139]

5. It got out there

Mostly to the folks who know the status of The Economist in the world's English language financial news. So, conservative business types, I guess. It was mentioned a number of times on MSNBC by I think Joe/Mika and Stephanie Ruhle and maybe Lawrence.

[Bobstandard]

6. Many people are struggling

The Economist is looking at the economy in a macro level. People experience the economy on a micro level. The many, many people who are feeling the pinch from inflation would reject a message echoing the Economists argument. Instead, the Harris campaign focused on their intention to reduce the visceral economic pain of the middle class. Very smart

[UTUSN]

7. K&R

[Prairie Gates]

9. The economy is UNEVEN - "per person GDP" is a very stupid measure that doesn't capture the unevenness

As it turns out (and not surprisingly) the uneven economy is most uneven in the swing states. That's why they're swing states, if I'm going to go base-superstructure on you. The more uneven the economy, the swingier the state, as it were. The Harris team decided (CORRECTLY!) really early that arguing that the economy was going great was a loser argument, since it is not going swimmingly for everyone, and especially not where the most votes are needed.

That's why you haven't heard the Harris campaign praising the economy. Because we'd be down 8% if that was their campaign strategy.