Are you better off? Does it matter?

CEPR has a table up that answers the Reagan question about whether you're better off now than you were eight years ago. You will not be surprised by the results:

Economic Indicator	2000	2008
Unemployment rate	4.0%	6.1%
Inflation rate	3.3%	5.4%
Job Growth (preceding 8 years)
Total nonfarm employment	21.4%	4.3%
Private sector employment	23.6%	3.6%
Manufacturing employment	2.9%	-22.2%
Employment rate (% of population)
All, age 16 and older	64.4%	62.6%
Men, age 16 and older	71.9%	69.1%
Women, age 16 and older	57.5%	56.5%
Real wage growth (preceding 8 years)	8.2%	1.8%
Minimum wage (July 2008$)	$6.58	$6.55
Family income
Median, 2007$	$61,083	$61,355
Growth (preceding 8 years)	14.7%	0.4%
Poverty
Rate (% of population)	11.3%	12.5%
People in poverty (millions)	31.6	37.3
Uninsured (health insurance)
Rate (% of population)	14.0%	15.3%
People without insurance  (millions)	38.7	45.7
Personal savings (% of disposable income)	2.3%	0.6%
College tuition (average per year, 2007$)
Private four-year college	$19,337	$23,712
Public four-year college	$4,221	$6,185
Gasoline (gallon, 2008$)	$2.03	$4.09
GDP growth (preceding 8 years)	34.2%	19.6%
Productivity growth (preceding 8 years)	15.9%	21.9%
Trade balance (% of GDP)	-3.9%	-5.1%
Federal debt (% of GDP)	57.3%	65.5%
Net foreign debt (% of GDP)	13.6%	17.9%

If the electorate voted on the basis of actual performance rather than on the basis of some kind of perceived party loyalty, there is no way that the election would be as close as it is.

But they don't so it is.