Tuesday, January 2, 2018

Trump vs Obama stock market comparison

Trump supporters, and semi-supporters, tout the stock market growth of the last year as proof that Trump is a pretty good president after all.  Because, you know, you can say all kinds of stuff about what a demented goof ball this guy is, but just look at what's really important - the NUMBERS.

OK.  Here are the numbers:

S&P 500 progress:
  •  1/1/09 - 865.98 - Obama's comes into office
  •  1/1/10 - 1123.58 - a growth of 29.7% - Obama's first year
  •  1/1/11 - 1282.62 - a growth of 14.2%
  •  1/1/12 - 1300.58 - a growth of 01.4%
  •  1/1/13 - 1480.40 - a growth of 13.8%
  •  1/1/14 - 1822.36 - a growth of 23.1%
  •  1/1/15 - 2028.15 - a growth of 11.3%
  •  1/1/16 - 1918.60 - a loss of 05.4%
  •  1/1/17 - 2275.12 - a growth of 18.6%
  •  1/1/18 - 2689.15 - a growth of 18.2% - Trump's first year in office
So, the S&P grew at almost the exact the same rate in Trump's first year as Obama's last year, and grew by significantly less than Obama's first year.  

I think that Obama's handling of the terrible financial crash of 2008 is responsible for the excellent stock market performance the first year and over the course of his eight years - a total growth of the S&P of 162.7%.  I am sure that this significantly outperforms those countries who panicked and instigated austerity rather than stimulus in response to the Great Recession.

Trump thrills some conservatives with his attacks on safety, environmental, and health regulations.  And these conservatives seem to believe that the way to grow the market is to attack these regulations.  The data don't support that belief.  And Trump and the Republicans are failing in their duty to protect the people of this nation.