2017 — how’s it working out, America?

Guy Page
Guy Page
Aug 9, 2017 · 3 min read

2017 report card on what Americans said they cared about in 2016 campaign

By Guy Page

During the presidential campaign last year, Americans wanted positive change on jobs, the pending Supreme Court appointment, jobs, health care insurance reform, jobs, the economy, jobs, ISIS, jobs, fatal shootings by and of cops, and jobs. The emphasis depended on geography, personal circumstances, and the headline of the day.

How’s 2017 working out for you, America?

Jobs: The U.S. economy in July added 209,000 new jobs, about 20,000 more than expected, and more than any month since 2000. The national unemployment rate is unchanged from June at 4.3%. According to an August 4 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics statement, “Employment increased in food services and drinking places, professional and business services, and health care.” Except for the odd reference to drinking places, that all sounds pretty promising. Grade: B+.

Supreme Court appointment: depends on who you talk to, of course, but as for me and my house, three cheers for Neil Gorsuch. Grade: A+.

Health care insurance reform: call me a giddy optimist, but now that the repeal and replace arm-twisting is history, there are signs that Congress may try to ensure that people who want insurance can afford it. Grade: a cautious C, with a note that says “attitude must continue to improve.”

Economy: Stock exchange sets new highs daily, which normally wouldn’t concern me much one way or the other except that the administration does seem to really want to see that new money invested in the American economy. Of course the president is taking credit, but then again he might deserve some props too — as Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross told CNN in June, “We’re lowering taxes, we’re cutting regulations, we’re stimulating the workforce, helping to develop the workforce of the future, unleashing our energy resources and redoing our trade agreements.” Something’s working. Grade: A-.

ISIS: the caliphate lost Mosul and according to the BBC on August 5 is down to 2,000 fighters “fighting for their own survival” in ‘capital city’ of Raqqa, Syria. Grade: A- for the good guys, with a note of “making progress, but incomplete”.

Cops who kill and cop killers — the number fatal shootings by police are virtually identical to 2016, the Washington Post reported July 1. The Post said shooting of unarmed people is down: 27 unarmed people were fatally shot, compared with 34 for the same period in 2016 and 50 in the first six months of 2015. Gun-related deaths of police officers through July 5 of the calendar year have increased from 22 in 2016 to 24 in 2017, Fox News reported. Grade: Fatal shootings by police gets a D+ (awful but showing improvement) and shootings of police a D- (getting worse, but could get still worse).

Opioid Crisis: 142 people die daily from opioid overdoses, the equivalent of the Sept. 11 attack death toll every three weeks according to a White House report. The death rate per 100,000 citizens went from 16 in 2015 to 18 in 2016. 2017 so far doesn’t look encouraging. Grade: D, with fingers crossed that it won’t get worse.

On balance, 2017 so far could be better, and it sure could be a lot worse. One might ask, but what about Korea, Russian electoral meddling, presidential tweets, climate change, transgender issues, immigration, the increased use of profanity in civic discourse, and Trump administration turnover? One might answer, the average American didn’t deeply care about these issues (except perhaps immigration) in 2016, and doesn’t (really) care deeply about them now. Perhaps despite or because of being just “average” Joe or Jane living outside the policy bubble, he/she sees only a casual, not causal, link between Life As They Live It and the 24-hour news cycle.

There. Thank you. Got that out of my system. Back to real life now.