It was a colossal blunder for Mitt Romney to tie his fortunes to the economy in the 2012 election. Just as a lawyer should never ask a question to which he doesn’t know the answer, a candidate should never hitch his wagon to something over which he has no control.

Suppose consumer confidence rises? Suppose the unemployment figures drop below 8 percent? Suppose home prices turn around, construction increases and foreclosures drop? Suppose buying and selling all pick up? If such things happen — as they did — you’ve lost your core argument.