Why are predictions always so pessimistic? I'll paint a positive picture.
The 2012 elections hit the republicans very hard. The American people send a message that holding the nation hostage over things like the federal budget and the debt ceiling is no way to govern and will not be rewarded come election time. Obama is reelected and the democrats hold a super-majority in both houses of Congress.
The healthcare legislation begins phasing in in the 2013-2014 timeframe. The nation's people and companies see the benefits of access to affordable healthcare almost immediately. With reduced healthcare costs, companies begin hiring more. By 2015, unemployment is below 4%. At the same time, a wave of start-ups are formed, encouraged by reduced healthcare costs. Innovation rules the day as the number of new patent filings nearly doubles over a two year period.
2016 is the beginning of the strongest bull market this country has ever seen. Established companies report earnings that far exceed street expectations. Many of those start-ups from the last couple of years have IPOs. Valuations climb and rumors of another tech bubble start to circulate. These rumors are squashed by fundamentals. These new companies are actually producing things and making money. P/e ratios stay in the 20-30 range. With the booming economy, the US government finds itself with a budget surplus and begins paying down the national debt.