A political clash over whether Americans are really better off than their parents, with a downbeat take on the economy that pushes back on the "everything is great" story.

• The core fight is about affordability — younger people say they can't buy the homes, cars, and lifestyle their parents had at the same age.
• The counterargument is that Americans today are richer, with bigger houses, nicer cars, and better food, so complaints are overblown.
• That optimism gets flipped: rising obesity is cast not as a sign of wealth but of stress, depression, and being financially squeezed.
• The underlying point is that cheap fast food and cheap goods mask a real drop in what regular paychecks can buy.

Outlook: Expect the affordability and cost-of-living debate to stay a central political flashpoint heading into the next election cycle.