Throughout the Obama years, we saw the antithesis of that. Hard work didn’t equate to a return. In fact, Obama’s economic policies – combined with an overly aggressive Federal Reserve – created a greater class division than America had ever seen... with the rich getting richer, the poor getting poorer... And the middle class? Well, the middle class kept on getting squeezed. You could think of it a little like an hourglass, with the rich on top, the poor on the bottom, and a small squeeze in the middle. Throughout Obama’s tenure, we saw the market grow in value while our economy barely moved. Incomes for the poor and middle class declined... And most importantly, there was a sense of despair. Between the economic stagnation, the decline in middle-class incomes, and our declining position on the world stage... America was ready for change. Depression. A sense that America had lost its place and position in the world. Between the economic stagnation, the decline in middle-class incomes, and our declining
manufacturing is a thing of the past.” Except of course, that was his OWN message. And President Obama’s message. And the
Clintons’ message. So, what changed? Donald J. Trump.
The Disappearing Middle Class Listening to the Trump campaign in the 2016 election, you would hear, feel, and sense a difference. All of a sudden, there was someone on the scene who said, “To heck with that... we CAN bring jobs back!” To a population that had experienced the worst of ‘08 and was being led to believe that this was simply the hand they’d been dealt... Trump offered HOPE. And who doesn’t need a little of that? “Make America Great Again” was and is an aspirational slogan... It’s nostalgic. It speaks to a simpler time when you didn’t need a PhD to feed your family. When a mother could stay at home to care for her family and children full-time. When men felt like they had a firm place in the world as providers. And when there were two cars, a picket fence, two kids, and two vacations a year. Life was simple. And life, it seemed, was great... Whether or not it actually was is debatable and an issue for another column, but one thing is clear... People long for the simplicity of yesteryear. And they long for the assurance that if they work hard, they’ll be rewarded.
position on the world stage... America was ready for change .
So, when Trump emerged onto the scene for the 2016 elections promising a life America so dearly missed, he captivated our imaginations... our American spirit.
American Consequences
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