In the 1996 elections, it's the economy all over again. According to most estimates, the numbers, to an extent, tell the real story. Unemployment is currently at 5.1 percent, its lowest level in seven years.
Inflation is low too.
The economy itself is growing steadily at around 2.5 percent, and has been in an expasion since Clinton took office. Interest rates on 10-year loans are at their lowest since the Johnson administration, and small business formation is at a record high. But the economy moves in cycles, and many experts fear that a recession lurks just around the corner. Will he deserve it. In truth, our elected officials have less control over the economy than they claim.