Take out the underemployed and part timers along with those who have dropped out and see what you have.
If you depend on MSNBC and MSN for news remember they only have 38 viewers.
James Earle Carter> Barack Hussein Obama. Did not think it was possible to look upon Carter as a better choice than anyone but.....

Sorry BCScock, I downvoted you by mistake.

I agree that economic gains hurt the GOP's chances in November. It is my opinion that the reason for this is that the casual voter (the voter that pays little attention to policy, and typically makes their decision based on whose rhetoric they buy into) will say that the lower unemployment rate is proof that Obama's policies are working. As you stated, downturns eventually turn up, which does not mean that Obama is doing anything right, yet he will reap the benefits nonetheless. Some of us have not forgotten that Obama said that unemployment would not climb above 8%. Yes, it has dropped below its highest point, however, it is still above that 8% threshold.

I can't say that I am overly excited about any of the frontrunning GOP candidates at this point either. I think that the entire system needs a big shakeup at this point, and I'm not sure that either Romney or Newt are that guy. Of the current candidates, I would throw my backing behind Ron Paul, but he doesn't seem to have a prayer at this point. Everyone wants change, but we keep voting the same guys into office. Even the new guys going to Washington seem to have the same agenda as the old guys. I'm looking for candidates with radically different ideas. Real change. Will it work? I don't know. But I'd like to try something different.

I am also a firm proponent of term limits for all of Washington. Any politician, left in office for years and years, will eventually lose sight of truly working for the people that voted them in, because they are no longer a part of that demographic. I have to perform my job on a daily basis, or I get canned. If I only had to convince 51% of the folks that decide to keep me here that I will get my job done like they expect in the coming years once every 4 years, I'd have it made. I could basically slack off for the first 2-3 years, then work a little more in year four and show them how things were "improving." I would just need 4 more years to really turn it around.

You and I are agreeing occasionally on some things. It is starting to concern me.

Good job!

The system screws honest, hard working people like yourself, and panders to the lazy bums that just don't want to work.