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Why Biden is not getting the credit he deserves

 It’s national psychology, not the economy.

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US President Joe Biden stimulative spending did boost the inflation rate, but inflation is now lower than in many other developed nations.

US President Joe Biden stimulative spending did boost the inflation rate, but inflation is now lower than in many other developed nations.

PHOTO: EPA-EFE

David Brooks

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The misery index is a crude but effective way to measure the health of the economy. You add up the inflation rate and the unemployment rate. If you are a president running for re-election, you want that number to be as low as possible.

When Mr Ronald Reagan won re-election, it was about 11.4, when Mr George W. Bush did so, it was 9, for Mr Barack Obama it was 9.5, and today, as Mr Joe Biden runs for re-election, it is only 7.7.

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