Barry Ritholtz of FusionIQ and The Big Picture blog says that even though it might not feel like it, “things are gradually getting better” with the economy — slowly. He warns, however, that current growth levels aren’t good enough to keep the economy’s head above water over the longer term. Ritholtz also talks about how he likes to buy equities when volatility is high, and why the Presidential election doesn’t matter as much as many people think for stock returns.