It's the Brian Lera Show on WNYC. Good morning, everyone.

So when President Biden and former President Trump debate on Thursday night,

one of the issues they're sure to be asked about,

they better be asked about, is inflation, the number one issue on the minds of voters in many recent polls, even over all the social issues, all the divisive issues, all the rhetorical

issues, all the other things that are important in the world and foreign and domestic policy,

inflation generally ranks number one

in the polls, given the housing affordability crisis and the cost of many other things.

So while much of the media focuses this week only on questions of style as they preview the

debate, which candidate will look too hot or cool, how to handle lies and personal attacks,

and talking when their mics are off, and things like that. And those things do matter.

History shows that voters often form impressions of candidates more from things like those

than from sober policy comparisons. We think, nonetheless, that policy matters most. So we're going to do that kind of debate preview now

on the central issue of inflation and affordability.

Now, going into the debate, Biden has the disadvantage

of inflation having spiked on his watch,

whether or not it was for many of his policies,

as opposed to the global effects of

the pandemic. Trump has the disadvantage of low unemployment right now, and if anyone's reading

the economic press of his core campaign promises being widely considered as inflationary

themselves. But who's noticing? We'll tell you which ones. But let's

compare. Jim Tankersley covers White House economic policy for the New York Times. His recent

articles include ones called Biden's stimulus, juiced the economy, but its political effects

...