The argument here is that ordinary people feel a bad economy no matter how strong the stock market looks — negative for the party downplaying it, and a driver of rising support for socialism.

• The real economy feels rough to regular people, even while the stock market booms.
• The typical first-time homebuyer is now 40, a sign of how unaffordable housing has become.
• Pointing to a booming stock market misses what people actually experience day to day.
• When leaders deny the pain, voters trust whoever validates their struggle — which pushes them toward socialism.
• The fix is to admit affordability is a real problem, not a myth.

Outlook: Unless the affordability squeeze eases, frustration over the economy will keep fueling support for populist and socialist ideas.