Did Bill Clinton really save the economy

Question

Our country went through a recession in 91. The economy began a massive recovery in 92, before Clinton took office in early 93. (line 1 shows GDP growth rate) How could he be the cause of the recovery if it started before he took office?

http://www.bea.gov/national/nipaweb/TableView.asp?SelectedTable=1&ViewSeries=NO&Java=no&Request3Place=N&3Place=N&FromView=YES&Freq=Qtr&FirstYear=1991&LastYear=1994&3Place=N&Update=Update&JavaBox=no

Answer 1

Peaks and troughs?  Hmmm, as we can recall it, the worst 'troughs' started with Herbert Hoover (great depression), Ronald Reagan, Nixon, Dubya, Bush Sr. just before he left...all were Republicans.  Coincidence?

All the years when the national debt increased most were under Nixon, Regan, Dubja...all Republicans.  Coincidence?

I think the Prez has a lot to do with it.  Even if Clinton may not have started the recovery of GDP growth, he managed it well.  He resided over nearly a decade of steady economic growth, and budgetary surpluses so high he spoke very seriously of PAYING OFF the entire debt by 2015.  Say what you will about his personal morals, but on the economy, he did a great job.

Answer 2

So many "Instant Gratification folks..."  Blaming Bush for today's economic "crisis?"  Consider this, the "balanced" budget was sent to Clinton by a Republican lead Congress.  to give him sole credit then means he must also accept credit for having sent all of the unskilled, under educated jobs over seas when he approved NAFTA.  He never once gave thought to the retraining of so many whose jobs he just sent elsewhere.  Add to that, he signed off on the interest rate increase.  From 21% to 30%.  This in turn paved the way for both the 0% interest credit cards as well as the Variable Interest Rate Home Mortgage loans that are now biting so many in the back side.  If it happened on his watch, then he must be responsible...

Answer 3

Key Lime cake is good.

Answer 4

What matters is the bottom line: President Clinton left the nation with a budget surplus.  George Bush will leave office with the nation burdened with the worst deficit in the history of the country.  

Answer 5

The economy was slowly making a turn around, but he did help it later years more. He did record a surplus in the budget, something that we havent seen in a while.

Answer 6

when he was in office wall street was at a all time high, and real estate was booming!

Answer 7

I have listened to the Republican arguement "we was robbed" about that for years. The facts are that in '92 I had been laid off since August 1991. George H.W. Bush kept saying "not gonna do that" to everything congress did to help people. Here in Texas the unemployment line was blocks long in downtown Fort Worth and an old hardware store the size of a Lowes had been converted into a center to help laid off workers, primarily laid off highly skilled aircraft workers from the local companies. The Cold War peace dividend never materialized. And after years of working to help win it, we were on the beach. We were treated with no respect by the administration then. I was recalled inside of two months of Clinton taking office. Now the son is president and I have been laid off longer than during his fathers watch. Any questions why I despise the Bushes and the whole gimme values they represent? I will credit Clinton and I will credit Obama this time for fixing what the Bush family messed up.......The short sightedness of the administration back in 91-92 left a legacy of problems that still plague the aircraft industry........