The misery index was real popular in the 1980 election. Republicans are bringing it up again to compare Obama to Carter. Just saw someone on Fox News refer to it. Apparently they have not calculated it.
Misery index - The misery index is an economic indicator, created by economist Arthur Okun, and found by adding the unemployment rate to the inflation rate.
So in Nov 2008, Fox News claimed "the fundamentals of the economy are sound."
Now in 2012, Fox News claims "you are not better off than you were when you voted for Obama."
Nov 2008, the rate of inflation was 4.9% (headline cpi was 218.783 in Nov 2008 and 208.490 in Nov 2007). The unemployment rate was 6.8%. That gives a misery index of 11.7%.
The latest inflation number is July 2012. Annual rate of inflation was 1.4% (229.104/225.922). Unemployment rate in July 2012 was 8.3%. That gives a misery index of 9.7%.
11.7% is 20.9% higher than 9.7%. That means the country was 20.9% more miserable on election day in 2008.
At the end of the Reagan presidency, the misery index was 10.1%.
CPI Jan 1989: 121.1
CPI Jan 1988:115.7 inflation = 4.7%
Unemployment rate 5.4%.
The country was 4.1% more miserable at the end of Reagan's presidency.
Misery Index
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