But while the Fed’s action will surely have political consequences, it wasn’t a political decision. The straight economic case for a rate cut was overwhelming; the case for a big cut was very strong. Not cutting would have been political. And the Fed didn’t let itself be bullied into inaction.

Mortgage rates closely track the yield on a 10-year Treasury bond, or the amount paid to a bondholder annually. In the aftermath of the Fed’s rate cut on Wednesday, the yield on a 10-year Treasury bond ticked slightly upward, defying the nudge downward by the central bank.