Are you just pointing out that a lot of people decide based on this question or are you saying it's a good question to base your vote on?
My perception is that things have mostly been the same whether you're talking about Obama or the past year, where the stock market does well, but wages increase around 1% per year after adjusting for inflation.
But regardless, the majority of folks basing their vote on this one question would be trouble because it would mean we are lost from an ethical or Christian point of view. I've said before, I do think we focus on ourselves if we aren't doing well or if we are scared, and that could help explain some of our politics, but it wouldn't be applicable to a scenario where people vote for Trump-supported candidates because they think they are doing better under Trump.
First I was pointing out that polls have indicated on multiple occasions that that is a main reason presidents get re-elected. I am inclined to agree based on my limited anecdotal evidence. Do you really believe the masses (other than fringe right, or evangelicals) think or care about ethics or their religion when voting for president? I highly doubt it. My comment only really applies to presidents too, as all Congressional elections are subject to gerrymandering and issues that are local to the constituents involved. Those elections, as well as many local ones, become skewed, and can affect you personally very much.
I know you have stated before that we focus on ourselves, but the reasons you give are very limited. I think millions of people who might not be considered elite or all that educated, vote on that issue alone. It may even be subconscious, but our culture has been transforming into a me-and-my-own first, everyone else second or worse, for quite some time. That certainly wasn't just Trump's doing, so, for the record, I disagree with your last statement.
I might have stated this elsewhere about the lowest 70% of wage earners by income, and it is an idea that even I have been warming up to, that POTUS, whomever it is, really doesn't affect the aforementioned people's lives all that much. We, the vocal ones, let it affect our lives, hanging on every word and election like it is life or death. For some small number, it may be, but for most people, they are affected very little, so it is easy to focus on whether they are individually better off. Even as a primary reason for voting.
Trump is a lot of things, most of them bad, but my father once told me, don't count your shit before its actually hatched (tongue in cheek, of course). Trump's presidency, as well as a lot of other crap, shall pass, we will outlive his negative effects, I can almost guarantee that.
Lest I be accused of not caring, I am here to tell you that I care very deeply, about many, many things, and will always endeavor to vote for the person I think can benefit the most people. I do keep my religion out of it, and when I consider the individual morality/ethics of the candidates, it is only as one aspect, and in my opinion, even though I didn't vote, Trump's was better than HRC's. I am sure many will vehemently disagree.
To that I say - isn't this country grand that we are allowed to hold our own personal opinions regardless of how hysterical others get about how much they believe the opposite.
