Such constancy is almost always a result of a deliberate and planned program resulting from an overall policy.

A GOP strategy, maybe. A policy for the nation, no.

No, their policy is to accrete power, wealth and control for themselves and those who have bought them.

Corporations and organizations of all sorts have policies. Shit, most venues at which I perform have policies that are set out in contract or posted backstage.

So to compare the unemployment numbers between Reagan & Obama,
I'd like to know which equation they are using.

Between Reagan and Obama, I think Clinton changed the way the unemployment
numbers are figured.
6.1% unemployment for Obama might be higher than Reagan's 7.1%, if the
current numbers are applied to the equation that was used under Reagan.

This is good news if the numbers hold up, but I'd like to see Apples to Apples, in this case.

I will doublecheck but when I read this I think they both used U3.

the name may be the same but the equations could have been changed.

I love being able to bring St. Ronnie down a few pegs
with my conservative friends.

Clinton got us out of it. * got us back into it(debt) and now Obama's getting us back out.

Reagan was an idiot. And he's the economic president?

Slight of hand, done with mirrors. Oh, and a great big stinking heap of propaganda by the M$M.

Are the Mega Rich looking to the future and seeing this possible story. Democratic administrations produce balanced budgets and surpluses,while Rethugs have only budgets based on debt. Most wealthy folks love their clipping coupons on their bonds. Our Nation has a real problem coming at it in the scenario of debt service,and with the disparity of wages and zero wage growth,debt service could collapse and then. The shit storm will come. Just walk through the Malls,over priced crap with teen and tweener focus,most of the younger crowd don't have a clue. As mom and dad supports their habits fine,but,it appears that story has hit a wall and the biggees are nervous,notice all those recently empty spaces. What is really telling is the opening of new retail spaces in the very upscale neighborhoods. Same trend in the early 1980's and you know what Bushie 1 did. The rich have made tons off of us minions during Liberal administrations and they know it.

Business will shift to Dems if nothing changes. Better for the bottom line.

Well, that's a nice try at revisionist history. The deep recession of 1981/1982, which resulted in unemployment peaking at 10.8% (the high water mark since the Great Depression, iirc), was not "oil-induced". It was a direct result of Paul Volcker's Federal Reserve's decision to wring out inflation, which was injuring the position of the Creditor Class, fighting against Ronald Reagan's Keynesian tax cuts and bloated military budgets. To achieve the inflation-taming results Volcker wanted, real interest rates had to rise to records not seen before or since (Carter holds the record for nominal rates, which is the sum of real rates plus inflation - Reagan's real rates far surpassed Carter's).

The 1981/1982 recession was the first blast of the class war ushered in by dear old Ronald Reagan, a war that has been hollowing out America ever since.