Editor's note: The following is an excerpt from The Bear Traps Report on the upcoming U.S. presidential election.
The problem is the data is starting to tell a different story, as it usually does following a two-term president. For over 110 years, a recession within 12 months, following a two-term presidency, has always occurred. The recent GDP data does suggest we are in late-cycle territory as in the last three months the U.S. has averaged only a meager 1 percent GDP growth.