Talking Points: The Economy And The Election
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- With all the focus on the Republican candidates, President Obama is putting together re-election campaign offices around the country including one here in Minnesota.
New unemployment numbers last week show the job growth has slowed with the unemployment rate nationally now at 8.2 percent.
That, along with rising gas prices, are likely to be the key issues in the campaign.
Ronald Reagan famously beat an incumbent President back in 1980 by asking a simple question -- "Are you better off than you were four years ago?"
It's that question that President Barack Obama will have to deal with, as well, as voters consider the impact of the recession and rising gas prices.
Obama supporters counter that the President inherited an economic mess. Obama's Minnesota Political Director Jeff Blodgett appeared on WCCO Sunday Morning.
"If you look back at the economy, this president was handed, I think, a lot of people look at where we are today and say look there has been a lot of progress, the record is clear," Blodgett said. "We are talking about steady job growth under this President. We are talking about a record of accomplishment that people will see."
But also appearing on WCCO Sunday Morning, Hamline Law Professor David Schultz disagreed saying voters are almost certain to judge the President on how the economy is doing and on how high gas prices are. Schultz said the winner this November will be the candidate who can best sell their message of economic growth and recovery.
You can watch WCCO Sunday Morning with Esme Murphy every Sunday at its new time of 10:30 a.m.
