I don't care what the unemployment rate is

[WestCoastYellowDog]

The unemployment print is not why I’m not voting for Trump. It’s a meaningless number along with GDP growth % that distracts the government and voters from doing the right thing and focusing on public health.

The Republicans are going to stop the $600 UI benefit on the premise that a lower unemployment print by November will improve their chances. That thesis is wrong, but millions will suffer from July to January because of that.

The Lincoln Project is a Republican Trojan Horse that is trying to get us to focus on the unemployment print and that’s not an attack line that is coming too strongly from our side - and rightfully so because we understand the collateral damage on focusing on that. If Trump and Pence resigned, and Pelosi extended UI and we had 20% unemployment while we rode out the pandemic, I’d vote for her or VP Joe Biden enthusiastically.

[unblock]

1. i agree with the essence of your post, but i think gdp and unemployment stats remain very important

tracking the performance of the economy and the how many people are left out of gainful employment are key elements of public policy.

but yes, public health is also important, and it's certainly important to think of the long term and not just summer stats.


lowering unemployment is important, but lowering unemployment in complete disregard for public health is terrible public policy. our government should be supporting people during lockdowns and such in an effort to get back to normal when health conditions allow.

government should have also been doing everything it could to support companies finding ways to employ people safely, including from home, with widespread distribution of ppe, etc., all to the extent safely possible, with the understanding that we'd still have high unemployment.

[dutch777]

2. They are all data points but none other than dumping Trump is THE point, you are right

I think it is also good to remember that almost all the data we are seeing whether it is Covid numbers or unemployment are to significant degrees inaccurate and many not even close to being real time. While someone may have returned to work at a restaurant or in retail, it is likely their hours were cut, so the whole damage of not only unemployment but underemployment does not get reflected in the stats. Similarly, while my wife remains employed she took a 10% pay cut to help keep the doors open. Also not reflected. To the degree less money in people's pockets means less spending meaning less economic activity, that's not good long term news for the country.

Frankly, I wonder if Biden and the Dems have thought about the long game. While we will hopefully dump Trump in November and maybe flip the Senate and get more Dems in the House, the economy and the issues the government will face after Covid gets corralled will be daunting. I would certainly prefer a Dem approach to anything the GOP would likely do (or not address) but I am concerned the pain of fixing a weak economy, off the scale debt and our many social problems, in the short run will damage the Dem brand by the time of the 2022 mid terms and again give the GOP opportunity. People are going to expect quick fixes and both the scale and complexity of the issues the US faces don't lend themselves to quick fixes. The situation sucks....any way you look at it.