Category
Blogs FeedElection Watch Weekly: Economy stuck in neutral
12 July 2012
News
The US added only 80,000 jobs in June and unemployment remained steady at 8.2%. The disappointing jobs report underscores just how long and difficult the recovery will be. However, the poor economic figures of the last several months haven't changed Obama's poll numbers much and Ezra Klein is left to wonder what really matters in the race.
"As a columnist and occasional talking head, I worry this next line will get me kicked out of the guild, but here goes: I have no idea what’s driving this campaign. It’s not what we’re covering in the media. It’s not what we’re seeing in the economy. It’s not what the campaigns are doing. It’s not the personal qualities of the candidates."
Obama called on Congress to extend the Bush tax cuts on all earnings up to $250,000. USSC post doc Niki Hemmer explains that the proposal was more about politics than policy.
The House held another symbolic vote to repeal Obamacare. For those keep scoring at home we're up to 33 now.
Romney gave a speech at the NACCP....it didn't go over so well.
Analysis
The New York Times magazine offers an inside look at the major Democratic Super Pac Priorities USA.
The Crystal Ball examines how the House races are shaping up.
"If we had to call all the races today, we’d estimate a Democratic gain of somewhere between five and 10 seats, with a specific guess of Democrats plus six. That would place the Republican majority at 236, with 199 Democrats."
Roger Shanahan of the Lowy Institute explains that "while much is made of the aggressive rhetoric of [Iranian] President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, his powers are actually extremely limited."
Looking Ahead
Josh Kraushaar says that Republicans might be blowing a great chance to take back the Senate:
"But looking at the Senate landscape, the odds of Republicans taking back the upper chamber are no better than 50-50, even with more Democratic seats in play, a favorable political environment, and an energized GOP base. It’s not the often-maligned Mitt Romney campaign that’s going to drag down the ticket; it’s several of the candidates themselves."
Trivia: Who supposedly quipped, "A billion here, a billion there, pretty soon, you're talking real money."
Fun Fact: Congressman Peter Stark (D-CA) is the only self-described atheist in Congress
Answer to Last Week's Trivia: Alexander Hamilton
Have your say
Next: Swing state preview: Wisconsin
Previous: View from Australia: The advantages of a craven foreign policy
