Romney Wins Debate; Obama Triumphs with Jobs Numbers - The Road to the White House - Election 2012 - Week 40

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Category: Beltway Insider

Published on Saturday, 06 October 2012 23:28

Written by Janet Walker

President Barack Obama and Republican presidential challenger Mitt Romney sparred heavily during the first of three Presidential debates as each candidate presented his economic recovery plan and countered the oppositions misleading claims. 

With 30 days until the general election, according to Gallup, President Obama’s Job Approval gained two percentage points over the past week to 50% of those polled who approve of his effectiveness as President and those who disapprove of his effectiveness dropped two percentage points to 45%.

As of October 7, 2012, among registered voters President Obama’s national popularity dropped one percentage points to 49% and Mitt Romney’s national popularity gained two percentage points to 46%.

The 2012 Presidential Debate

Although both candidates were present from all accounts, GOP Presidential challenger Mitt Romney scored high numbers across the board for his performance during Wednesday Night’s first Presidential Debate.

The debate covered many areas divided into segments including three questions on the economy, one on health care and one on the role of government and governing.

Economic recovery, as America has yet to fully recover from the worse economic recession since the Great Depression, has emerged as the single most important issue in Election 2012.  With approximately 10million voters undecided the debates are the only opportunity for each candidate to present themselves in a forum that allows the independent and undecided to gather the information necessary to make an informed decision based on the issues that are important to them.

The topic of the economy, which ate into a considerable amount of the ninety minutes allotted, became the single most important issue for the moderator, PBS’s Jim Lehrer, and for the American people. The Presidential Debate gave each candidate the opportunity to define themselves and their economic platform and plan for recovery.

The single issue that has remained after this week’s political wash was Romney’s off the cuff remarks of his painstaking funding cuts that will immediately put Sesame Street’s beloved Big Bird on the unemployment line. As Romney mentioned he likes PBS and in this economy it is quite possible that the $444million PBS receives annually from the federal government is better suited for other social programs.

The momentum from Governor Romney performance was short lived as September jobs numbers were announced the following morning and were surprisingly more hopeful than anticipated.

September Jobs Numbers                                                  

The Obama Administration had its first bright spot in over three years as the jobless rate fell below the stubborn 8% where it has been cemented for the past 43 months.

The drop, which seems oddly timed, is being heralded as a triumphant trigger toward economic stimulus, recovery and growth.  Although the timing is suspect, it is good news, even great news especially for the 114,000 people who went back to work or found suitable employment. It is important to stress a single month of below 8% unemployment does not a recovery make.

Within the same announcement the unemployment numbers for July and August were readjusted as will the September numbers in November. The below 8% numbers may have an adverse effect on the millions who receive emergency unemployment benefits and who may face an immediate end.

Vice-Presidential Debate

The next major televised opportunity for the American public to judge the effectiveness of both men and their VP choices will be the second in the series of three debates. The Vice-Presidential debate between Republican Vice-Presidential  Paul Ryan and Vice-President Joe Biden is scheduled for Thursday, October 11, 2012.

The second Presidential debate, a town hall, is scheduled for October 16 at Hofstra University and the final debate, on Foreign Policy, is slated for October 22.

For more information on both candidates:

Obama/Biden Official web site: http://www.barackobama.com/

Romney/Ryan official web site: http://www.mittromney.com/