Politics is a noxious soup. Have some!
I think the US government would have become more popular in the short run if it made the economy (and mainly employment) its only priority until it was, like, fixed. Not that they would not have to make various decisions about other things that come up - things always come up. But not pushing anything else, not starting to talk about anything else unless someone asks, things like that. Because this was, as far as I could hear from a distance, what they were elected for. I have a pretty good memory and I don't think the independents who voted Obama did so because he promised tax-funded abortions or some such. It was the economy, stupid.
And most people don't perceive the economy as fixed just because some stocks go up. When they get a new job, they will say it is fixed. Then you can start reaping the political capital from it. Then you can start pushing your agenda.
There is of course the small question of whether the Democrats CAN fix the economy. Opinions on this will obviously vary. I'd say that the whole stimulus thing would be a defensible answer to a normal recession. But if the problem is that the American model is Just Plain Wrong (that is, if you can't outsource production but keep consumption at home), then the large stimulus package will actually make things worse faster. But we shall have to wait and see about that.
In the case that this fails, in the case that the counter-bubble burst just in time for the next election, people will say: "These jackasses promised to fix the economy, but once in power they broke their promises and spent four year driving through their commie agenda", and Palin will return in glory while Riflejugend patrol the neighborhoods. OK, probably not, but it could get mildly unplesant to be openly Democratic for a while in some districts.
And most people don't perceive the economy as fixed just because some stocks go up. When they get a new job, they will say it is fixed. Then you can start reaping the political capital from it. Then you can start pushing your agenda.
There is of course the small question of whether the Democrats CAN fix the economy. Opinions on this will obviously vary. I'd say that the whole stimulus thing would be a defensible answer to a normal recession. But if the problem is that the American model is Just Plain Wrong (that is, if you can't outsource production but keep consumption at home), then the large stimulus package will actually make things worse faster. But we shall have to wait and see about that.
In the case that this fails, in the case that the counter-bubble burst just in time for the next election, people will say: "These jackasses promised to fix the economy, but once in power they broke their promises and spent four year driving through their commie agenda", and Palin will return in glory while Riflejugend patrol the neighborhoods. OK, probably not, but it could get mildly unplesant to be openly Democratic for a while in some districts.