[JasonC]

SP500 in September 2002, 815. SP500 in September 2007, 1525. That was an 87% rise in 5 years not counting the dividends, and in excess of a 15% annual return counting them. That is a bull market. No, you don't have a right to that as normalcy, and no, it won't be monotonic, or average that fast over whole cycles including the drops, since the economy grows half that fast. But it was a bull market, as fast and as big as they generally come, and pretending anything to the contrary is simply pretending --- and ridiculous.

[Moonman62]

SP500 in September 2002, 815. SP500 in September 2007, 1525. That was an 87% rise in 5 years not counting the dividends, and in excess of a 15% annual return counting them. That is a bull market. No, you don't have a right to that as normalcy, and no, it won't be monotonic, or average that fast over whole cycles including the drops, since the economy grows half that fast. But it was a bull market, as fast and as big as they generally come, and pretending anything to the contrary is simply pretending --- and ridiculous.

Golly, I wish I had a time machine so I could go back and buy all my stocks at the bottom, and then a crystal ball so I could sell them at the top. By September of 2002, the market had 18 months to react to W's ignorant economic speeches and his equally ignorant economic policies. And by September of 2007, the facade is finally wearing out.

Now go back and figure the rates of return for the major indices from when W took office, January 20, 2001 until now. It's not pretty. There is a chance the markets could recover by the end of the year as people anticipate one of the worst economic presidents ever leaving office.

It's too bad for you that economic performance isn't measured by the price of oil, though I wouldn't be surprised if that's the way W does it.