Hi
Clinton or Trump are certainly not brilliant, but their influence on the market should not be overestimated.
On the other hand, it is true, and I have been saying it for a long time, that the stock market is overvalued: http://www.dividendes.ch/evaluation-du-marche/
This is also why I started the Trading Auto Signal.
As for your question, I only started this dividend portfolio in 2010, so I don't have any examples to show you for years like 2000-2003 or 2008-2009.
On the other hand, if I adopted this strategy of increasing dividends, it is precisely because I experienced these two periods as an investor. And I even experienced them badly, like many others.
Dividend-growing stocks are known to hold up well in bear markets. The following articles will give you examples and explanations:
Growing dividends that beat the market (1/3)
Why are dividends so important?
The advantages of dividend payers
Why are growing dividends magical?