The Confusion About the U.S. Economy Reveals Everything About Politics Today

Lee Drutman wrote for TIME on how the traditional link between economic performance and presidential approval has been severed due to deep partisan divisions and fragmented media.

Sometimes, Democratic Reality will be critical of Biden and his administration. But the starting premise in Democratic Reality is that Biden’s doing the best he can, and nobody is perfect. And good news should be shared and discussed widely. In Democratic Reality, Biden’s approval remains high. It has nothing to do with the economy.

In Republican Reality, Democrats are the enemy, and Republicans are the heroes. In Republican Reality, as long as Joe Biden is in the White House, America is at risk (though at risk of what depends on the day or week). If anything bad happens, it is clearly Biden’s fault. If anything good happens, it is in spite of Biden. But mostly, Republican Reality tries to ignore the good things that happen, and focus on all the bad things.