Obama won his reelection because of the economy, not in spite of it. -- New Corrections show that Year 2012 brought more employment than previously known and discussed.
The Daily Beast
Behind January Unemployment Data, a Hidden Boom for 2012.. - The latest numbers again show unimpressive growth. But buried in the Bureau of Labor Statistics report is surprising news about what really went on last year—and why Obama may have won.
By Daniel Gross
February 1, 2013
Behind January Unemployment Data, a Hidden Boom for 2012
Some excerpts :
But the higher jobs figures help explain a lot. They help explain why consumer spending and retail sales held up quite well during 2012, in spite of the seemingly weak jobs numbers. They help explain why consumers on the whole did a far better job keeping up with financial obligations—from mortgages to credit cards. They help explain why more people were willing to take a plunge on purchasing home or buying a new car.
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But when the underlying economy is performing well, and trends are going in the right direction, incumbents tend to win.
I believed from the outset that President Obama would win reelection because of the economy, not in spite of it—that America’s recovery and reinvention, while far from satisfying, was sufficiently advanced and meaningful to help the president. Some of that argument was based on a hunch, and on the fact that I had just written a book making precisely that case. But it turns out the data is supportive of this case.
According to BLS, the economy created 2.2 million jobs in 2012, which is pretty good. Employment is generally the most significant economic indicator for politicians. And it turns out the more we learn about the labor market in 2012, the better it gets.
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