Important headlines for April 18th – Turning the page on 2016 & Making the economy great again
Bottom Line: Stories you shouldn't miss and my takes on them
Excerpt: S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz believes that the way James Comey handled the investigation into Hillary Clinton’s emails was a factor in Donald Trump winning the presidency.
“Doing what he did 11 days before the election was inappropriate and definitely violative of longstanding FBI practice,” Wasserman Schultz said, adding that she couldn’t predict the extent of the impact or whether it cost Clinton the election.
But, she said, it had a negative impact.
“I don’t see how it couldn’t have. I don’t see how that announcement, him coming out again and saying what he said that close to the election, I don’t see how it didn’t have an effect,” Wasserman Schultz said Monday during an exchange with reporters in her district office in Sunrise.
Hot Take: Three points. First, Debbie's right. Yes, you heard me correctly - more on that in a moment. Second, credit Debbie for intellectual consistency on the topic of James Comey, unlike most in the media and politics that have had a love/hate relationship with him based on what way the political wind from his mouth is blowing that day. Third. It's April 18th, 2018. May we please move on from the 2016 election? Denial doesn't improve with time. Now to Debbie's point. For a about a year and a half we've heard the lamenting of Democrats who wonder what if the 2nd Comey show hadn't happened right before the election (as Debbie was doing here). What's real? Yes, it did marginally hurt Hillary but no it'd didn't flip the election outcome. Let's put this to bed once and for all.
Based on all accredited polling Hillary Clinton lost .5% support from the time of the 2nd Comey announcement through Election Day. There was never a point where Trump led the popular vote during that week and a half long window that would have meaningfully impacted the early vote outcomes either. So, to Debbie's point. There's factual evidence it did hurt Clinton's bid. However, for those who take it a step further here's the rest of the story...
Michigan is the only state won by Donald Trump that was within the margin of negative impact. Trump won Michigan by .3%. So, it's arguable that Comey's action right before the election was the difference in Michigan but even if Hillary had taken Michigan, Trump would still have won with room to spare (287 Electoral votes 17 more than needed).
So yes, Comey hurt Hillary but no he didn't cost her the election. She managed to do that on her own.
Our Economy Is Back & U.S. Workers Are Winning President Donald Trump, USA Today
Excerpt: Paychecks are climbing. Tax rates are going down. Businesses are investing in our great country. And most important, Americans are winning. A typical family of four earning $73,000 a year can expect to see an income tax cut of more than $2,000 when they file their tax return in 2019 — slashing their income tax bill in half. The standard deduction has been nearly doubled, so now twice as much income is earned tax-free.
We have already created 3 million jobs since the election — including more than 290,000 new jobs in manufacturing and more than 75,000 in mining and logging jobs. On the announcement of my signing this historic tax reform, companies immediately started announcing thousands of new jobs and making enormous investments in their workers. Unemployment claims have reached a 44-year low. After years of wage stagnation, real wages are rising.
Hot Take: This is all true. As I'm inclined to say there are two sides to stories and one side to facts. The fact remains that the average full time employed person earning about $48,000 will benefit by paying about $1800 less in federal income taxes this year. The economy is growing at its fastest rate in 13 years, wage growth the fastest in 12 years and with the impact of the tax cuts net take home pay is up year over year by the most in 32 years. But we're supposed to care about Stormy Daniels and James Comey's book right?
Until tomorrow...