The New York Times reports that a new book -- Unequal Democracy by Larry M. Bartels, a Princeton economics professor -- contains statistics that demonstrate an important historical pattern -- the U.S. economy does better under Democratic presidents than under Republican ones. That is, the last eight years -- in which the median income shrank while consumer prices rose -- is just an extreme example of the economic impact of Republican presidencies.
And based on statistics from Forbes, the stock market also does better under Democratic presidents. Forbes "found that the S&P 500 has averaged a total return of 14.1% per year under Democratic presidents since April 1945, and 11.8% under Republicans. The best total returns--17.4% per year--were under Bill Clinton, whose presidency ranked first in economic results."
How much better does the economy do under Democrats? The Times reports that between 1948 and 2007, Gross National Product (GNP) growth per capita was 1.14 percentage points higher under Democrats (2.78%) compared to 1.64% for Republicans. The Times reports "that 1.14-point difference, if maintained for eight years, would yield 9.33 percent more income per person, which is a lot more than almost anyone can expect from a tax cut."
A colleague based in Washington, D.C. recalled that moment in the 1960 presidential campaign when Kennedy's campaign staff knew that John F. Kennedy would defeat Richard Nixon. It occurred that fall, just before their first televised debate -- the first presidential debate ever broadcast on television. 
It is not a revelation to state that Sen. Hillary Clinton's (D-New York) campaign has stumbled and is reeling. 
Why is gold making a new high, trading at $1,118.00 per ounce?
Chasing Value: Ten stocks for 2010 -- Part 1 
Closing Bell: A six-day rally (AIG, REGN, M, MOT, PALM, RIMM)
