It is a fact of history that nine of the ten economic recessions since 1953, when Dwight D. Eisenhower became President, have come under Republican Presidents as follows:
July 1953 to May 1954–Eisenhower
August 1957 to April 1958–Eisenhower
April 1960 to February 1961–Eisenhower
December 1969 to November 1970–Nixon
November 1973 to March 1975–Nixon/Ford
January 1980 to July 1980–Carter (Democrat)
July 1981-November 1982–Reagan
July 1990-March 1991—HW Bush
March 2001-November 2001–W Bush
December 2007-June 2009–W Bush/Obama–last five months under Democrat
The longest recessions were under W Bush and Obama; Reagan; and Nixon/Ford, with the unemployment rate reaching 10 percent, 10.8 percent, and 9 percent respectively in those recessions.
The shortest recession was under Jimmy Carter, six months in 1980, but the only Democrat to have a recession begin while in office, and suffered at the polls partially on that fact, that it was in an election year!
Eisenhower had three recession periods, while Nixon had two, and W. Bush had two.
This is an issue that Democrats need to emphasize in the upcoming campaign, the tremendous economic revival under President Barack Obama!
Finally, the John F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson, and Bill Clinton administrations saw great economic growth as under Obama after his first five months in office, so Democrats have an exceptional record on the economy over the last 62 years of American history!