If your landlord raises your rent 4x, and then drops it to only 2x after a few months, does that prove your landlord is working towards your goal of spending less?
I'm from Brazil and we have a right-wing politician, and the same argument is running around for the same reasons. Maybe it's not a world wide effect but it sure involves too many variables to attribute it all to one actor. But if it goes up you can bet the opposition will say its his fault, and if it goes down you can bet the opposition will say it is not his fault. Depends on how self-aware the person you're talking to is, and that skill is useless on the internet as it makes you unsure about your convictions.