We have a population trained to turn to Washington for all their needs and grievances, and Washington has to be seen to be "doing something." The candidates especially.

Fact is there's a lot of things about an economy--or a lot of other issues--that just can't be fixed by pulling a lever in the Congress or White House, but there's no political gain to pointing that out, and a significant numbers of voters who would actively resent having it pointed out.

Okay, maybe there are things the government could do to lower the price of oil and energy, but almost all of them involved the government just getting the hell out of the way. They won't do any of them. For one thing they would have to explain why they hadn't done them years ago.

All that's left are the flashy card tricks.