Despite acting boldly to address the economic crash, the voters lost confidence in the Democrats
on the economy in the years since the heady days of the 2008 presidential election -- and that is
mostly still true. That loss of confidence is the principal reason why Democrats lost control of
the House in 2010 and why the election for President and the Congress in 2012 could be
competitive. This wave of research shows a path for Democrats to gain the ascendancy on the economy.

No incumbent President since Roosevelt has won reelection with greater than 8 percent
unemployment. Current Democratic narratives too often fail to meet voters where they are in
how they perceive and experience the economy and, even more importantly, do not speak to
voters‘ aspirations and goals when thinking about the economic future. They do not take the
voters economic understanding seriously when indeed, they are dead serious.