Look at the big picture of our economy.
The economy is growing. All the indicators are telling us it is growing.
Look at the number receiving some form of government assistance,
Obama has made it easier to collect social assistance.
cities going bankrupt,
Decades in the making, from mismanagement and suburban flight. That has little to do with the current economy.
pension funds in trouble,
Politicians overpromised then did not fund want they promised. That has little to do with the current economy.
the type of jobs workers are forced to take if they want to work,
A reasonable observation as typical blue collar jobs in manufacturing have been in decline, replaced by lower-wage service jobs. However, higher skilled employees are in demand.
the cost of living,
Has been muted
government debt,
We spend too much and aren't taxed enough. That has little to do with the current economy.
malls closing, retail chains closing stores,
Thank Amazon for that. Malls are dying as consumer tastes shift. Retail capacity grew faster than the economy for 20 years, so there had to be an adjustment.
less spendable income in the pockets of consumers,
Consumer spending is rising. Disposable income is rising.
the real unemployment numbers,
The "real" unemployment rate is 5.3%. The U6 rate is not the real rate of unemployment. Employment growth has been mediocre but it still has been growing.
decline in home ownership,
This is due to structural issues, credit formation and young people tending to want to rent more than in the past. That has little to do with the current economy.
lost tax revenue,
Tax revenues are at all-time highs
infrastructure,
This is a political problem, not one indicative of the economy.
and health care cost.
Health care costs have been rising faster than the economy for four decades. Recent cost increases are due in large part to better, cutting-edge but more expensive treatments to prolong life.
The economy is in bad shape. We're actually going backwards. Government debt is the only catalyst keeping us afloat. Again, look at the big picture and not just individual pieces.
Very little is going backwards. The economy is in decent shape. Not great shape but not bad shape either. The individual pieces - the data - are the empirical evidence that the economy is growing.