The Way Forward

We shouldn’t accept the stock market as the ONLY measure of the economy.

I agree the issues listed in the OP need to be addressed. Not only because they should be addressed, but because they CAN be addressed. I hope and believe that we have the resources to do so. Our messaging has to reflect that it is more important that an ambulance ride does not bankrupt the patient inside than checking the ID of every waiter who speaks with a Mexican accent. Having been in DC, Chicago, Orlando, NYC and Dallas in less than 4 weeks (not a complete list, either), I have spoken Spanish with a LOT of people in the service industries. From waiters to skilled dental hygienists. Agreed, we can’t absorb the whole of Latin America, but these people just are NOT “the” problem.

On the other hand—again, I stress that these are only impressions from my snapshot journey—the airports, airplanes, hotels, restaurants, stores, etc. have been full to the max. We can’t pretend it’s 1932 again, because it simply isn’t. We lose our credibility if we say it is. The economic situation is far more nuanced than just the extremes. If we claim otherwise, we lose credibility with those voters who know from experience that neither extreme tells the whole story.