[blackjack21]

Consumer confidence hasn't been this high since the top of the dot com boom. (Maybe a similar bust is right around the corner for you Trump haters.)
US consumer confidence rises to 18-year high


The Trump administration has also come to terms on a trade deal with Mexico. The stock market loves it. The establishment media doesn't. While USA Today covered the stock market rally on the news, Trump trade war: Could U.S.-Mexico deal signal more stock gains?, the New York Times decided to bash Trump's rhetorical flourishes, Trump Falsely Calls Preliminary Pact Between U.S. and Mexico ‘Maybe the Largest Trade Deal Ever’


GDP growth is somewhere between 3.9% and 4.1%. We'll get the final numbers for last quarters soon. The Fed is forecasting 4%+ growth

Fed's Mester raises GDP outlook, still thinks gradual rate increase path is appropriate

"I've been upping my forecast. I'm now at 2.75 percent to 3 percent for the year, probably closer to 3 percent," Mester told CNBC on Friday at the Fed's annual summit in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. "I think that the fiscal policy — the stimulus and the tax cuts — has been a positive for the economy in terms of demand growth, and so that's one of the factors."

Note that the Cleaveland Fed president attributes the change in GDP to Trump's fiscal policy.

Atlanta Fed predicts 5% jump in economic growth for third quarter

If the forecast is accurate, it will come on top of a strong 4.1 percent second quarter that was buoyed by a jump in consumer and business spending. President Donald Trump boasted Friday that growth would go "a lot higher" even though many economists, including at the Fed, expect the economy to moderate in 2019 and beyond.

The next sentence talks about skeptics, of which I am one. That is, I think 5%+ GDP growth may be too high.

The Atlanta Fed's GDP Now forecast, however, has its skeptics. The tracker often starts off optimistic early in the quarter then cools as more data flow in. In the first quarter, the indicator at one point showed 5.4 percent growth in a quarter where GDP rose just 2.2 percent.

Trump Approval Steady Despite Barrage of Fake News Attacks
It also shows that while Trump haters like watching Fake News, Trump supporters do not.

[Victoribus Spolia]

@blackjack21,

He also restored the position of the first lady:



and lets not forget North Korea:

[blackjack21]

Yep, and I just got news I'm getting a $11k a year raise, and that's not including my up coming promotion. I didn't even know this when I posted above.

I'm pretty sure Bret Kavanaugh gets confirmed.

I'm doing a little happy dance today!

[Zagadka]

EDIT

Yes, Trump is doing better than I expected, by a fair clip. So far. Partly because he inherited pretty good numbers, IMO. And aside from the fact that everyone pro-Trump seems to use the stock market as a direct measure, while ignoring things like "pissing off every long term ally and trading partner" or "destroying the environment" or "removing worker protection measures".

But if you are going to accept Trump's numbers, you really need to accept Obama's.

[AFAIK]

So is Trump going to take credit for all the policies he opposes, like carbon pricing and a $15 minimum wage in California and New York? Or just everything Obama did?

[Zagadka]

He'll definitely jump on North Korea progress made by Moon.

[Rugoz]

Yes, Trump is doing better than I expected, by a fair clip. So far.

Every idiot can create nice growth figures by doing massive pro-cyclical fiscal expansion. Trump won't be around when others will have to clean up the mess.

[Red_Army]

Keep the chain emails coming, pops!

Nothing more secure than constantly talking about how great a job you're doing. This post has the tone of someone who gave a child a gun and was impressed that he didn't shoot himself.

[jimjam]

Let us not overlook the rotten underbelly of Donald's shiny object ………….

And that tax bill that Mr. Trump was so proud to unveil? Four out of five of the tax cut dollars went to the top 1% of households. While low-income people will see a small uptick in their paychecks in the short term, those cuts expire in a few years while the breaks for the rich are permanent. Don’t get it twisted, the Trump tax cuts will likely go down as the biggest money grab in modern history – by the wealthy, for the wealthy.

Definitely an awesome job …………….

[Pants-of-dog]

To be fair, I am kinda impressed by how Trump has avoided a major war.

[Rich]

Every idiot can create nice growth figures by doing massive pro-cyclical fiscal expansion.

And maintain the currency rate while keeping interest rates low? I agree that the figures are hardly proof of Trump's genius, but there's no denying the figures are pretty good. Even exceptional. This is one pretty sustained periods of economic expansion, with some pretty sustained low inflation.

If I were to question it, I would ask what's been happening to real median income, taking account housing costs? What's been happening to the income of the 75th percentile? If this growth was combined with a good rate if income inequality reduction, then I'd be happy. But I don't think it is.

[jimjam]

Yep, and I just got news I'm getting a $11k a year raise, and that's not including my up coming promotion. I didn't even know this when I posted above.

I'm pretty sure Bret Kavanaugh gets confirmed.

I'm doing a little happy dance today!

You're a sap. What time this morning did the alarm blast you out of bed so that you could spend your day putting up with office assholes? What's the plan? Get a giant pile of money and drop dead? Good plan . I got up at 10:30 and watched the ocean for awhile.

[blackjack21]

@jimjam I'm going to knock around Boston for a few days. Then, heading down to Rhode Island for a few days. Then down to NYC for a few more days. Then, heading back to Cali.

[Rugoz]

And maintain the currency rate while keeping interest rates low? I agree that the figures are hardly proof of Trump's genius, but there's no denying the figures are pretty good. Even exceptional. This is one pretty sustained periods of economic expansion, with some pretty sustained low inflation.

I admit that was a lazy statement from my part. It would be easy if the FED wouldn't "work against" the deficit spending of Trump/Congress, but that is of course its mandate. Point is though, the FED wouldn't have to intervene if Trump/Congress would use this golden opportunity to reduce the government debt burden for future generations, which they don't.

Needless to say congratulating a president for economic growth after a 1-year term is absurd, even after 8 years it's questionable. As far as I can tell the only useful reform Trump/Congress passed was the corporate tax reform, the US cannot completely ignore international competition in that area. It still went too far though.

[JohnRawls]

Consumer confidence hasn't been this high since the top of the dot com boom. (Maybe a similar bust is right around the corner for you Trump haters.)
US consumer confidence rises to 18-year high


The Trump administration has also come to terms on a trade deal with Mexico. The stock market loves it. The establishment media doesn't. While USA Today covered the stock market rally on the news, Trump trade war: Could U.S.-Mexico deal signal more stock gains?, the New York Times decided to bash Trump's rhetorical flourishes, Trump Falsely Calls Preliminary Pact Between U.S. and Mexico ‘Maybe the Largest Trade Deal Ever’


GDP growth is somewhere between 3.9% and 4.1%. We'll get the final numbers for last quarters soon. The Fed is forecasting 4%+ growth

Fed's Mester raises GDP outlook, still thinks gradual rate increase path is appropriate

Note that the Cleaveland Fed president attributes the change in GDP to Trump's fiscal policy.

Atlanta Fed predicts 5% jump in economic growth for third quarter

The next sentence talks about skeptics, of which I am one. That is, I think 5%+ GDP growth may be too high.


Trump Approval Steady Despite Barrage of Fake News Attacks
It also shows that while Trump haters like watching Fake News, Trump supporters do not.

Congrats. You still need to understand that this was achieved mostly by Tax cuts by Trump and Obama era policies coupled with extortion economics.(my term) Tax cuts will have reduced effect as the time goes on (around 2 years left) and extortion economics are making the whole world reconsider their economic relations with the us. (What i mean by extortion economics is that Trumps policy of threatening sanctions scares investors from foreign markets so they will invest in more safer places like the US or EU where it is safer for now)

[jimjam]

@jimjam I'm going to knock around Boston for a few days. Then, heading down to Rhode Island for a few days. Then down to NYC for a few more days. Then, heading back to Cali.

Stop up to Portland, Maine if you can and i'll buy you a cup of coffee. Portland used to be a well kept secret but, alas, we have been discovered. Cruise ships and all that goes with that type of thing. Good for the economy but something has been lost.

[blackjack21]

Stop up to Portland, Maine if you can and i'll buy you a cup of coffee. Portland used to be a well kept secret but, alas, we have been discovered. Cruise ships and all that goes with that type of thing. Good for the economy but something has been lost.

If I had given myself a bit more time, I would have. A friend of mine heads there every year. Maybe I'll try to get up there next year. I also end up in Westford, MA once in awhile. If I do that, I'll take a day and come up North and see Maine. I'm goofing off in the Boston area, because as many times as I've been in the area, I've never seen any of the tourist sites. Went to the JFK presidential library today.

[jimjam]

If I had given myself a bit more time, I would have. A friend of mine heads there every year. Maybe I'll try to get up there next year. I also end up in Westford, MA once in awhile. If I do that, I'll take a day and come up North and see Maine. I'm goofing off in the Boston area, because as many times as I've been in the area, I've never seen any of the tourist sites. Went to the JFK presidential library today.

You are welcome …… maybe next Summer. I live on a hill called Munjoy Hill which is being gentrified rapidly and reminds me of Mission Hill in S.F. An interesting dynamics ………. BMW's and homeless people. That is, it seems, a microism on how America is evolving.

[blackjack21]

Americans Are Grilling More Steaks for Labor Day With the Economy Humming
When it hits the stomach in a positive way, that's always good for morale.

US economy logs best performance in nearly 4 years

U.S. economic growth was a bit stronger than initially thought in the second quarter.

Newt Gingrich: Trump keeps racking up the victories, despite liberal media's desperate efforts

Let’s start with Tuesday’s primaries. In Florida, a fine, well-entrenched state Agriculture Commissioner and former U.S. Rep. Adam Putnam decisively lost the Republican gubernatorial primary to Rep. Ron DeSantis. The big boost for DeSantis came from President Trump’s endorsement and a Trump robocall to Florida Republicans.

This has both Republicans and Democrats freaking out.

In Arizona, President Trump won another primary victory when Martha McSally, a congresswoman and Air Force veteran (in fact, the first American woman to fly a fighter jet in combat) won the Republican U.S. Senate nomination.

Life goes on after McCain.

But this is what has to be driving them over a cliff:

Beyond the primaries, President Trump has been winning amazing victories in nominating – and with the leadership of Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., getting the Senate to confirm – federal judges. Where Hillary Clinton would have nominated radical judges, President Trump has been consistently nominating constitutional conservatives to the courts. This will have a profound impact on America’s future.

So far, President Trump and McConnell have confirmed 60 federal judges – this includes Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch, 33 district court judges, and 26 court of appeals judges.

Additionally, President Trump has nominated more than 80 other judges across the federal system (including Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh). McConnell has been doggedly working to get these nominees confirmed, and I suspect he will drive them through the Senate before the end of the year.

So on judges, President Trump is winning an amazing victory for conservatism. No wonder the left is in a frenzy.

[blackjack21]

GREAT AGAIN: USA Is Now The Largest Global Crude Oil Producer – Surpasses Russia and Saudi Arabia
This is what Saudi Arabia was trying to avoid by collapsing oil prices to as low as $26 a barrel. It seems they have failed in their efforts.

Meanwhile, Native Americans are doing their best to stop making Canada great again: Native Groups Sue to Stop Keystone XL

Where the rubber meets the road, however, is that middle class incomes have finally improved after the neoliberal/neoconservative cabal has been removed from the White House after 30 years of uninterrupted rule.

Middle-class income hit an all-time high of $61,372 last year, U.S. Census Bureau says
Obama has already tried taking credit for this. Yet, we all know this is the confidence-inspiring Trump leadership at work.