Hiram College political science professor Jason Johnson was interviewed by the Baltimore Afro-American about the impact of the September Jobs Report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics on the 2012 presidential election.
Some political analysts say, however, that beyond acting as a “firewall” to draw attention away from Obama’s poor debate performance on Oct. 3, the jobs report could have little real impact on the elections.
“If people had been voting just on the economy, (Republican challenger) Mitt Romney would have been leading all along. A lot of this is about likeability and familiarity and trust,” said Jason Johnson, a political analyst at Hiram College, Ohio.
“In this election, everything is a big deal and nothing really matters because everybody knows how they’re going to vote,” Johnson said. He added: “Ultimately, these job numbers only impact enthusiasm: It gives Democrats something to be enthusiastic about.”
