Thread by @JustinWolfers

I think this critique is exactly right, so lemme try to put Harris's big econ speech in North Carolina in context next to Trump's big econ speech in North Carolina a couple of days ago...

https://x.com/BlueStTrav/status/1824556412342767848

1. Harris's econ speech was about the economy. Trump's econ speech barely mentioned the economy. Indeed, he had to keep reminding himself that he was meant to talk econ. He was rambling, incoherent, and said almost nothing recognizable as econ.

https://x.com/Acyn/status/1823904506494812539

2. Harris's facts were true. ("a loaf of bread today costs 50% more than before the pandemic.")
Trump's "facts" were false. ("the cost of bacon, where it went up four and five times").

3. Harris promised specific policies (albeit in insufficient detail). Trump's promised policies were neither promises nor policies.

He promised "low inflation," but if you can't control it, you can't promise it.

And he announced a process, not a policy: "I will sign an executive order directing every cabinet secretary and agency head to use every tool and authority at their disposal to defeat inflation"

4. On healthcare: Harris promised a continuation of Obamacare, and renewed subsidies. Trump has promised to eliminate Obamacare, and since 2016 we've been told his replacement policy is coming "in two weeks."

The asymmetric nature of this campaign is challenging. Neither side has a perfect economic record, but the gap on one side is just so much larger than the other.

That asymmetry is surely the most important point, but it's hard to continually focus on it without sounding biased.