Which Presidential Candidate Is Best for the Economy?

One the candidates said he would "jump start the economy."  I can’t remember which one, because I switched to Pro Wrestling for a dose of reality.  The image the candidates offer is that of a skilled operator maneuvering the levers of the economy from the oval office.  Kind of like someone operating a backhoe, but without the hard hat.

Robert J. Samuelson’s recent column in the Washington Post exposes this fallacy quite nicely:

We have a $14 trillion economy. The idea that presidents can control it
lies between an exaggeration and an illusion. Our presidential
preferences ought to reflect judgments about candidates’ character,
values, competence and their views on issues where what they think
counts: foreign policy; long-term economic and social policy — how
they would tax and spend; health care; immigration. Forget the business
cycle.