It was a question asked by then-GOP candidate Ronald Reagan in 1980 as he smoked Jimmy Carter with one of the most famous lines in debate history: “Are you better off than you were four years ago?”

Game over, TKO—the Fat Ludy sung that night.

"Are you better off than you were four years ago?"

Ronald Reagan debating then-President Jimmy Carter, 1980. pic.twitter.com/5rvyCVUOGC

— Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation & Institute (@RonaldReagan) September 6, 2024

Now that we’ve endured almost four years of a disastrous Biden-Harris administration, Gallup asked voters the same question, and the results are terrible, horrible, no good, very bad if you’re Democrat presidential nominee Kamala Harris. A staggering 52 percent said heck no:

More than half of Americans (52%) say they and their family are worse off today than they were four years ago, while 39% say they are better off and 8% volunteer that they are about the same. The 2024 response is most similar to 1992 among presidential election years in which Gallup has asked the question.

In 1992, of course, George H.W. Bush lost to upstart Arkansas Governor Bill Clinton. Forty-six percent of respondents back then indicated they were not better off—a number lower than the current findings, which makes this even more problematic for Kamala's chances.

Gallup: Only 39% of Americans say they're better off than they were four years ago; 52% say they're worse off

'Democrats (72%) are much more likely than independents (35%) or Republicans (7%) to view themselves as “better off.”'https://t.co/Gaj0ni2xJC pic.twitter.com/M2EG6ZyQES

— JgaltTweets (@JgaltTweets) October 18, 2024

There’s more bad news for Ms. Harris:

Gallup also noted that its Economic Confidence Index remains at -26, which is “one of the worst election-year readings.” The dissatisfaction comes as respondents listed the economy and inflation as the most important issues facing America. 

“Historical trends suggest that perceptions of personal wellbeing and economic confidence can significantly impact election outcomes. With a majority of Americans feeling they are not better off than four years ago, economic confidence remaining low, and less than half of Americans saying now is a good time to find a quality job, the economy will be an important consideration at the ballot box this year,” Gallup says. “As inflation persists and economic concerns dominate voters’ minds, the upcoming election may hinge on which candidate can best address these pressing issues.”

We all know inflation has been bad, but when you see the numbers side-by-side, it should be a huge wake up call to anyone that is still undecided.

It’s time for people to put their personal feelings aside and vote for the best candidate for their families.

This chart 👇🏻 from… pic.twitter.com/H47NaqhwHp

— ❥❥❥ᗰoᒪᒪie❥❥❥ (@mollie_don) October 11, 2024

The reality is that no matter how much the media and the Democrats try to tell us the economy is oh-so-fabulous, any of us who are not super-wealthy feel quite a bit poorer than we did in 2000. Going to the movies, taking your family out to a restaurant, even filling up your car—all these activities have become significantly more painful to our bottom lines because of Bidenflation. Harris of course was the tie-breaking vote on the idiotically named Inflation Reduction Act, so she owns it:

"You gotta take responsibility for what happened in your administration." pic.twitter.com/KKyfxF5F1J

— Trump War Room (@TrumpWarRoom) October 17, 2024

Why then is the election even close? I would argue that A) It simply may not be; polling has significantly undercounted Trump’s support in the last two cycles, B) Many leftists are so committed to their extremist causes that they don’t actually care that the country is in serious decline, and C) the mainstream media lies to the American people regularly, and basically is an arm of the Democrat party. As much progress as we’ve made with conservative media, a huge portion of people still rely on legacy outlets and blindly vacuum up whatever they’re told. I know members of my own family who wouldn’t argue over the articles and facts we print here at RedState—they would just deny those facts even existed. "I didn't see that," they'd say, as if that made it not true.

Many of them have never heard of the Hunter Biden laptop story, much less the latest CBS News scandal where the outlet was caught red-handed trying to influence voters’ opinions of Kamala.

It sounds crazy, but talk to anyone who depends on The New York Times and CNN for their news, and you’ll quickly see what I’m talking about. They literally know about half of what you do if you’re a regular reader here.

Even the gaslighting media and the Democrat Party are having a tough time selling this startlingly awful candidate, however. Make sure you and yours vote and prevent her from ever sitting behind the Resolute Desk.

And keep your browser pointed to RedState.