artbrooks: "This seems to have a lot more to do with the state of the economy, which is reasonable, than it does with who happens to be president at the time or which party he comes from."

Absolutely correct!....besides, it Doesn't matter which party he comes from....only who has the most to 'gain' from manipulating the economy...and those schmucks arrange WHO is going to run....and hide 'why'......It's been a rigged game for too long of a time.
BTW, keep an eye on the derivatives market...that will decide more than anything,, what the 'state of the nation' is going to be!!!

GfS