Politicians have 2 options when dealing with the economy:
A) Tax enough money out of the economy to hurt it
B) Not do A)
That is all he credit or blame they need or deserve.
Oh, there are other issues that have huge economic consequences, which may be thrust upon them, like war. The irony is that the power to actually levy the taxes for either programs or unintended challenges, or to pass the laws even establishing the programs, lies entirely with Congress, not the President. Congress is just too diffuse an entity to catch the blame it deserves for its disasters.