Another jobless, shaky recovery in November...

[Monte Carlo]

... will hamstring any campaign Bush election campaign. It's been consistently tested that voters care about jobs and the economy more than anything else when they make their decisions. It certainly makes sense. I know I need a real job, and that I'm far from alone.

The economy right now is characterized by a fierce and thin jobs market, where firms are generally managing to maintain productivity and growth with lower payrolls and personel. The economic gains in this nation are not spreading enough to the hard workers of the nation.

GDP gains have largely been capital gains, not in payrolls. Not to mention that those capital gains themselves are tentative - interest rates are in modern record lows. The economy is stagnant, and Bush is doing nothing about it.

Those problems sank Bush Sr.'s campaign in '92, and every sign indicates that they could do it again to Bush Jr. in '04. This will not happen automatically, but both Kerry and Edwards know their weakspots and plan to hammer them there. The media these days is driven by ratings and ad revenue, and that is not something to be proud of, but everyone who wants new work tends to pay attention to the news more, and that would work

I'm not an economist, but I know a little something, and that it is impossible to classify an economy that is annually piling on record public debt, on top of an already huge existing public debt, who's currency is dropping like a rock in the international money market, who's interest rates are blah at best... as good.

A hungry mob is an angry mob, remember that.

[JoeMemphis]

1. This is going to be the issue

that defines the election, if Democrats really want the White House that bad. We should be happy that there are Grade-A goofballs like Greg Mankiw up there promoting offshoring U.S. jobs and reclassifying burger-flippers as "manufacturing jobs". He's practically handing the Democratic candidates material to use against Bush*. Mankiw is just proof of how this White House is out of touch with America.

[tedoll78]

2. I agree fully.

Kerry and Edwards need to make this their friggin' crusade!

Lou Dobbs on CNN has been harping on this issue for months now. I think it might earn them points to slip-in Dobbs' name once in a while, just to get associated with the pro-American worker aura of his show.

They also need tons of events. Have our nominee do an American Worker Listening Tour in the middle of the summer. At each event, have Kerry up on stage introducing and listening to workers who have lost their jobs to foreigners, workers who have had to train their own replacements before being let-go, workers who had six-figure jobs and now work at Wal-Mart, and so on..

And get some commercials about Bush's job record out there STAT! Showcase the failed projections of the White House every year. Trumpet how Bush has lost more jobs than the past, what, 11 presidents combined!? Scream about how Bush's own administration officials are praising outsourcing.

We can do some serious damage to Bush on this issue; in fact, I'd be willing to bet that this is the one issue that can cripple him for good. We need to get on the ball, and NOW.