"The economy is so unpredictable it fluctuates greatly. The biggest effect a president can have, in my opinion, is on the mood of the investors. If this is true, then it is quite telling indeed."

That is a good point. Essentially, that means that the rest of the world has to be in some form of harmony with the USA if the economy will boom. Clinton might have been a less than great role model or husband but he was a shrewd politician and had a way of keeping relations between the world and America running smoothly enough that the market was booming.

Another factor, which is completely outside of Presidential power is the fact that the dotcom era began essentially during the Clinton Administration, which led to the giant bubble and eventual burst.

It's so ironic that no matter what, whenever there is a huge upswing on the economy, people never believe it can burst, yet it ALWAYS does. General economic theory would dictate that you cannot sustain a huge economic boom forever and that all things will balance out. Call it the Economic Theory of Gravity, that all things that go up must eventually fall back down. Instead of looking for ways to lift the economy through manipulation of the deficit, perhaps alternatives should be used such as a progressive tax cut or other reforms that can lighten the burden on the middle and lower classes.

Take care all.