Jobs Still a Campaign Issue for Obama

This week, President Obama headed to Massachusetts to attack Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney's gubernatorial history, while Romney focused on the now-defunct solar energy company Solyndra to attack Obama's leadership record. However, according to the Washington Post, Obama may need to focus all his energies on America's unemployed. On Friday the U.S. Labor Department released the newest jobs report -- only 69,000 jobs were created in May -- and reminded many voters that the most important point in this year's presidential election is which candidate can provide employment for America's workforce.

The Washington Post reports: 

As made-for-cable theater, the events attracted plenty of attention but not necessarily for the right reasons. Both were gimmicks. Friday's anemic numbers from the Labor Department refocused the campaign where the voters live, on the fundamental issue of the overall state of the economy.

The Labor Department's monthly report could not have come at a worse moment for the president, given the relatively weak jobs growth of the two previous months. History suggests that voters' perceptions of the economy, and therefore the performance of the incumbent, begin to lock in several months before an election.

By that measure, Obama has little time to show progress.

Read more at the Washington Post.

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