After two days of handwringing over President Obama's disappointing debate performance earlier this week, Democrats received good news this morning in the form of the September jobs report.
While GOP conspiracy theorists (like former General Electric CEO Jack Welch) made baseless allegations that the White House somehow manipulated the numbers, President Obama spent the day touting the indisputably positive facts included in the Bureau of Labor Statistics report.
- September saw 114,000 new jobs added, making it the 31st consecutive month of private sector job growth.
- The unemployment rate dropped dramatically from 8.1% to 7.8%, the lowest point in four years. (Notably, this month's decline was NOT due to workers who "gave up" and dropped out of the workforce.)
- The economy has added 5.2 million jobs since March 2010.
A few months of consecutive private sector job growth might be luck, but thirty-one consecutive months of increases is an undeniable positive trend that is evidence of a steadily improving economy and the directional correctness of our nation's economic policy.
Romney and his GOP supporters can (and probably should) continue to key on the unacceptable pace of the economic recovery, but results like these take much of the sting out of any election season barbs they throw at the President.
In a November 2011 post, I declared that continued consistent forward motion in U.S. labor results would be enough for President Obama to secure his place in the White House for four more years. With this year's employment trends, which have been capped off nicely by September's significant reduction in the nation's unemployment rate, I stand by that prediction.
Mitt may have won the Wednesday night debate battle, but it is likely all for naught - President Obama has already won the war.
You can follow Jeff McKown on Twitter @waythingsturn or check out his daily blog.
