Obama Hit Hard by Job Numbers; Romney Continues Vetting Process – The Road to the White House – Election 2012 – Week 27
- Details
- Category: Beltway Insider
- Published on Sunday, 08 July 2012 00:04
- Written by Janet Walker
President Obama’s momentum from the recent Supreme Court decision upholding, in its entirety, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act took a hard hit as the June Job numbers were released.
The US Labor Department announced American employers added only 80,000 jobs in June making it the third straight month of less than expected job growth leaving the unemployment rate for the forty-first straight month above 8% stuck at 8.2%. Although employment recovery showed promising signs in first quarter 2012, the national unemployment rate did not fall below 8.0%.
According to Gallup, as of July 7, 2012 among registered voters President Obama’s national popularity gained a single percentage point this week to 47% and Mitt Romney national popularity gained a single percentage point to 45%.
Obama’s current overall ratings, according to Gallup, gained a single percentage point over the past week to 47% approve of his effectiveness as President and those who disapprove of his effectiveness declined a single percentage point to 45%.
Religion is another hot button issue in Election 2012. As voters scrutinize each candidate their religious beliefs also play a part in the decision. According to Gallup 80% of voters indicated they would vote for a candidate who professed Mormon faith. Although even as our nation has become increasingly secular religion is still significant in the political process as even those who have no religious affiliation do not want political candidates who holds religious beliefs outside what is considered traditional denominations and affiliation with just over half, 54%, of registered voters indicating they would vote for an atheist.
With the general election campaign season heating up Mitt Romney, the presumptive Republican Presidential Candidate has yet to identify his Vice-Presidential candidate although two names seem to continually rise to the political punditry surface including Florida’s Junior Senator Marco Rubio, House Budget Committee Chair Paul Ryan.
Florida Senator Marco Rubio, largely unknown outside his home state, is considered the Latino Prince of the tea party movement. Rubio was elected to the Florida House of Representative in 2000 where he served until 2009. He was then elected Senator in 2011 a position he still holds. He graduated from the University of Florida and earned a JD from the University Of Miami School Of Law in 1996. Born of Cuban parents he was raised in Miami and Las Vegas, NV.
Wisconsin Representative Paul Ryan, a twelve year veteran of political life, is the Chairman if the House Committee on the budget. Elected in 1998, Ryan has been called the one of the most influential US Conservatives. He is well known and outspoken on the U.S. Budget crisis and is considered one of the most highly regarded Republicans on Economic Policy. Ryan was also asked to deliver the Congressional response to President Obama’s State of the Union address in 2011. He earned a B.A. in Political Science and Economics from the Miami University.
Romeny spent the Independence Day Holiday with his family. During the morning he stumped in Wolfeboro, NH, and enjoyed, in the afternoon with his wife, Ann, their five sons, wives and eighteen grandchildren traditional 4th of July activities.
