When John Kerry says the US economy will magically improve if he’s elected, but tank if Bush gets a second term, don’t believe it.

WASHINGTON (AFP) - The US economy will grow solidly in 2005 and the outlook is similar under President George W. Bush or John Kerry, top business economists said in a survey.

Gross domestic product — total economic output — was expected to grow 4.3 percent in 2004 and 3.7 percent in 2005, said a panel of 38 forecasters in the National Association of Business Economists (NABE).

“After a soft patch in the spring quarter the economy appeared to find firmer footing this summer,” NABE president Duncan Meldrum said.

“Fortunately, our panel expects the expansion to gain additional traction over the second half of this year and advance at a solid pace in 2005,” Meldrum said.

The economists said the outlook was little different whether Bush or Kerry won the November 2 presidential elections.

“The NABE panel does not place significant weight on a Bush or Kerry victory,” the survey report said.