• Animals,  Barack Obama,  President 2012,  Unemployment Rate

    Jobs Report: 8.2 % Unemployment Rate With 80K Jobs Created

    July 6, 2012 /

    The Friday jobs report is out and it is, well, not so good – especially for President Obama.

    The U.S. economy created just 80,000 jobs in June and the unemployment rate held steady at 8.2 percent, reflecting continued slow growth in the economy with the presidential election just four months away.

    The Bureau of Labor Statistics said private payrolls increased 84,000, while the government lost 4,000 jobs. Economists expected job growth of about 100,000 and the unemployment rate to be unchanged, though many had increased their forecasts based on some recent indicators.

    With yet another month of weak employment growth, the second quarter marks the worst three-month period in two years. The period averaged just 75,000 per month, against 226,000 in the first quarter, which benefited from an unusually mild winter.

    May’s weak initial 69,000 report was revised upward to 77,000, which made the June growth essentially the same. The April number was revised lower, from 77,000 to 68,000.

    “What a disappointing number,” said Jeff Savage, regional chief investment officer for Wells Fargo Private Bank. “This was kind of disastrous. We’re not even keeping up with demographics at this point. This is not going to be liked in the markets.”

    The stock market, where futures had been essentially flat before the jobs number was released at 8:30 am ET, fell sharply, though that disappointment could be tempered by hopes of more stimulus from Washington.

    With Mitt Romney falling in the polls lately, this should re-ignite his campaign and refocus his narrative on jobs and the economy.

    President Obama may have won a victory when the Supreme Court ruled ObamaCare constitutional, but the economy is still not growing and the unemployment rate is high.

  • Barack Obama,  Day By Day,  President 2012

    Day By Day June 24, 2012 – Fifth Columns

    June 25, 2012 /

    Day By Day by Chris Muir

    Chris, the MSM, especially NBC has been especially pathetic this Presidential cycle defending Obama.

    I mean – someone, somehow has to do it.

    Obama’s record is so poor, even his own Democrats in Congress are refusing to attend the Democratic National Convention this summer.

    We are waiting this morning for SCOTUS to rule on ObamaCare. When the announcement is made, it may be the beginning of the end of the Obama Administration.

  • Barack Obama,  Mitt Romney,  Polling,  President 2012

    Romney Now Leads Obama Among Middle Income Voters

    June 4, 2012 /

    According to the latest Obama vs. Romney Gallup Presidential Poll.

    Mitt Romney currently has a 49% to 45% edge over Barack Obama among middle-income voters, those whose annual household income is between $36,000 and $89,999. Romney has the same lead among upper-income voters, while Obama maintains a wide advantage among lower-income voters.

    The results are based on Gallup Daily tracking of 2012 election preferences by demographic group, including more than 9,000 interviews with registered voters conducted between May 14 and June 3. During this period, Obama and Romney were tied at 46% among all registered voters.

    Voting preferences by income group have been fairly well-established since Gallup began tracking the general election on April 11. Obama’s lead over Romney among low-income voters has ranged between 13 and 16 percentage points in each of the three-week rolling averages of the vote by demographic group that Gallup has reported since late April. Meanwhile, Romney’s edge among middle-income voters has been between four and seven points, and among upper-income voters, between four and six points.

    Romney, the wealthy former head of Bain Capital, has slightly greater appeal to the highest-income voters in Gallup’s data, those making $180,000 or more in annual income. This group has shown a 53% to 42% preference for Romney since mid-April, compared with 50% to 45% for Romney among those earning between $90,000 and $179,999.

    Again, this is good news for Mitt Romney and the Republican Party.

    If Obama loses the middle income folks, he is not going to be re-elected.The fact is there is greater voter participation among middle income voters than lower income ones.

    It appears that Obama’s appeal is based more upon race, than winning the economic argument of “sharing the wealth around.”

    Obama’s large lead among low-income voters overall is due to two factors. First, as the prior table shows, lower-income nonwhites prefer Obama to Romney by a 68-point margin, compared with smaller 55-point and 52-point margins among middle- and upper-income nonwhites, respectively. At the same time, Romney has a smaller lead among lower-income white voters (10 points) than among middle- (19 points) or upper-income white voters (14 points).

    Second, and perhaps more importantly, nonwhites fall disproportionately into the lower-income group. Nearly half of nonwhites, 49%, report annual household incomes of less than $36,000. And 38% of those in the lower-income group are nonwhite, compared with 22% of those in the middle-income group and 17% in the upper-income group.

    But, most importantly, Mitt Romney is leading among middle income and independent voters, a key demographic.

    Though Romney’s edge among middle-income voters is similar to his lead among upper-income voters, in certain subgroups of middle-income voters he performs especially well. That includes middle-income independent voters, who right now prefer Romney by an eight-point margin, 48% to 40%. Obama leads among lower-income independents, and the two are tied among upper-income independents.

    All in all, a good poll for Mitt Romney early in the race.

    No wonder the odds makers at InTrade.com have seen Obama crater in recent trading.

  • Joe Biden,  President 2012

    Updated: Americans Have Mixed Views of Vice President Joe Biden But Swing State Voters Disapprove

    May 23, 2012 /


    Update:

    Swing states show dim view of Biden

    Joe Biden may not be much help to Barack Obama in key swing states this fall.

    In a new USA TODAY/Gallup Poll, Americans split on whether they like or dislike the vice president – 42% said they had a favorable opinion, 45% said unfavorable – but the numbers are worse in key swing states.

    In the 12 swing states likely to determine the outcome of the presidential election, only 40% of registered voters view Biden favorably, while 54% view him unfavorably. These numbers are worse than President Obama’s who is seen favorably by 50% of registered voters in those same states and unfavorably by 49%.

    The 12 swing states in the poll are Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Michigan, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Wisconsin. These states are all considered too close to call for the November election.

    According to the latest Gallup Poll on Vice President Joe Biden

    Americans are about equally likely to have a favorable (42%) as an unfavorable (45%) view of Joe Biden, which has been the case for most of his tenure as U.S. vice president. Americans were much more positive than negative toward Biden from the time he was chosen as Barack Obama’s running mate through the first several months of the Obama administration.

    The May 10-13 USA Today/Gallup poll marks the first time opinions of Biden have tilted negative since he became Obama’s vice presidential pick, but they are not materially different from the closely divided but still net positive ratings of Biden from October 2009-March 2011.

    The current poll was conducted after Biden’s comments in favor of same-sex marriage on “Meet the Press” on Sunday, May 6 — comments that led to President Obama’s announcement that he too supported legalized same-sex marriage. The poll suggests those comments did not have a dramatic effect on how Americans view Biden.

    Biden’s favorable rating peaked at 59% immediately after the 2008 election. His current 45% unfavorable rating is his highest so far, though his unfavorable ratings have been at least 40% since October 2009.

    Should President Obama begin to sink further in the polls, watch Joe Biden switch places with Hillary Clinton and become Secretary of State.

    Hillary Clinton is much more popular than Biden, but the Vice President is popular among Obama’s Democratic base. Here is the breakdown by political party:

  • Joe Biden,  President 2012

    Americans Have Mixed Views of Vice President Joe Biden

    May 23, 2012 /

    According to the latest Gallup Poll on Vice President Joe Biden.

    Americans are about equally likely to have a favorable (42%) as an unfavorable (45%) view of Joe Biden, which has been the case for most of his tenure as U.S. vice president. Americans were much more positive than negative toward Biden from the time he was chosen as Barack Obama’s running mate through the first several months of the Obama administration.

    The May 10-13 USA Today/Gallup poll marks the first time opinions of Biden have tilted negative since he became Obama’s vice presidential pick, but they are not materially different from the closely divided but still net positive ratings of Biden from October 2009-March 2011. The current poll was conducted after Biden’s comments in favor of same-sex marriage on “Meet the Press” on Sunday, May 6 — comments that led to President Obama’s announcement that he too supported legalized same-sex marriage. The poll suggests those comments did not have a dramatic effect on how Americans view Biden.

    Biden’s favorable rating peaked at 59% immediately after the 2008 election. His current 45% unfavorable rating is his highest so far, though his unfavorable ratings have been at least 40% since October 2009.

    Should President Obama begin to sink further in the polls, watch Joe Biden switch places with Hillary Clinton and become Secretary of State.

    Hillary Clinton is much more popular than Biden, but the Vice President is popular among Obama’s Democratic base. Here is the breakdown by political party:

  • Barack Obama,  Mitt Romney,  President 2012

    Obama’s Bain Capital Attacks on Romney Backfiring?

    May 21, 2012 /

    Mitt Romney’ campaign is all over Newark, New Jersey Mayor Cory Booker’s gaffe on Meet the Press yesterday.

    Here is the video:

    As you remember, I was very concerned about Romney’s candidacy because of how the Democrats would spin his history with Bain Capital. This video is an excellent, quick response to an opportunity delivered up an Obama supporter/surrogate.

    While this gaffe will not completely innoculate Romney against the charge that he fired a whole bunch of folks, it does place the job-letting in context of a bigger picture – just like Obama and the General Motor’s automobile dealers. It makes Obama’s attacks look foolish.

    Is there any doubt that, unlike the McCain Campaign of four years ago, Romney’s immediate response shop, is ready for prime time?

  • Animals,  Mitt Romney,  President 2012

    Mitt Romney Unveils First General Election Television Ad

    May 18, 2012 /

    Republican presidential candidate, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney speaks at the River City Brewing Company, Thursday, May 17, 2012, in Jacksonville, Florida

    Mitt Romney is out with his first Presidential general election ad and it is called “Day One.”

    Mitt Romney’s campaign released its first television commercial of the general election Friday, a spot that outlines a series of “day one” goals for a Romney presidency.

    The ad, expected to run in Iowa, Ohio, North Carolina and Virginia, features a narrator speaking over stock footage of the American heartland and Romney on the campaign trail, outlining what “a Romney presidency would be like.”

    “Day one, President Romney immediately approves the Keystone pipeline, creating thousands of jobs that Obama blocked. President Romney introduces tax cuts and reforms that reward job creators, not punish them. President Romney issues order to begin replacing ObamaCare with common-sense healthcare reform,” the voiceover continues.

    The campaign is expected to spend $1.3 million on the commercial, according to NBC News, a relatively small purchase. The Obama campaign, by comparison, is in the midst of a $25 million television campaign.

    Romney spoke about the commercial on the campaign trail Thursday, telling reporters in Jacksonville that unlike one of the Obama campaign’s ads critical of his tenure at Bain Capital, his commercials would take a positive tone.

    Here is the ad embedded below:

    A good first start for Romney and definitely a different tone from President Obama.

    But, Romney is NO cream puff and will go negative when and if it is required – probably later in the summer.