Fox News
Expand
Browse All Video
Watch Live

You're watching...

Is history against President Obama?

Details

  • Description

    Basil Smikle Jr & Jim Pinkerton on how unemployment impacted re-elections in the past

  • Duration 5:45
  • Date

Clips

Also in this playlist...

FoxNews.com LIVE

Auto-advance: ON

Auto-advance
View All

Transcript

This transcript is automatically generated

Thanks for being with us today a joining me here on set we've got our political panel to talk politics.

Battles Michael junior the founder of battles Michael associates and you can find him on Twitter at some battles Michael junior.

Thank you very much for being a -- and Jim Pinkerton of course you know you love on museum on the weekends or to a contributing editor and writer with the American conservative magazine.

And again on FOX News Watch as well.

So gentlemen let's talk about these new job numbers with the waiting all day to find out are all morning to find out what they were going to be and we've got.

The June numbers coming in generating only 80000 new jobs well below expectations keeping unemployment rate.

Steady at eight point 2% and a lot of people were hopeful that those numbers -- going to be higher today we heard reaction from both a President Obama and Mitt Romney there.

A lot of people saying -- this other bad jobs report could undermine Obama's argument the economy -- shown signs.

Of improvements.

Battlestar -- and your thoughts on.

These new numbers like to Vietnam vets have this that the threshold numbers what sort of point 4%.

Because no president has gotten elected we've.

Unemployment rate higher than that since -- -- -- war World War II.

To be honest -- you I don't think that number's gonna get below eight point one and before this November election.

So the reality is for the Democrats and O and President Obama.

Is that.

We is that as a Democrat cannot campaign on getting the unemployment -- Down significantly so we now below that at some point four we have to execute a pro active prospect of vision about how we actually get people back to work.

And Steve -- we -- away a little bit from that actual unemployment number.

-- it's gonna change gonna go up down up a little bit down a little bit over the next couple months but we have to be.

Focused on talking about a vision for the future and not just those specific job numbers.

Right in and Jim do you think -- an offensive.

To battles point they're about no president being as -- -- reelection -- jobless rate over seven point 4% could history.

Change this year with that you think.

Well it might but as Basil says it hasn't happened since 1930s.

And I'm not sure.

In the twentieth century that a president so -- -- the unemployment rate go up.

During his presidency got reelected so -- -- made that history is pretty heavily against -- about reelection chances right now.

If you -- -- -- measure unemployment as the thing and let's face it.

The Romney campaign is.

Hitting that pretty -- -- -- on that and that statement I think that if the voters polls show overwhelming that the economy is number one issue and it would appear that by his own measure of what he thought what he promised to do president Rumsfeld.

And Romney has been critical of course a lot of aspects of President Obama.

And a lot of people are looking out the way it Romney has come out handled a couple things -- conservatives are saying today Romney still leads to better explain his plans.

-- for getting more jobs people still want a little more -- Can you -- it -- however.

The thing we need to hear from him.

I think.

But I think.

Look I understand everybody has their idea what they wanna see the president -- -- calendar talk about is my favorite issue and are real should be their favorite issue to.

If -- Romney I would be pretty focused on.

How President Obama went wrong and I would just not think this is important to lay out of 26 point plan that is -- -- I do think however.

On the one issue.

Of the Supreme Court ruling and so on that the Romney people have an opportunity to to do not get -- in the fight over health care too much of the say look.

President Obama and the Democrats -- -- said it was a mandate.

Announcement in court has ruled this attacks and so President Obama and the Democrats in congress just launched the biggest action two years -- that is.

The biggest tax increase -- one of them when big sections in history.

And who thinks for a second that in 2010 they've been candid about it being a tax increase.

That it would have -- a past.

And think for second and think it's repealed they'll be able to do it again and neighbors I think that one issue which is more.

A trust issue and -- candor issue as opposed to a tax issue.

Is -- real Achilles heel they face and I would rather -- be focusing on that and let let other people haggle over.

-- This and that economic went on the road.

And Basil as the looking out these numbers on what each candidate hurt you know what -- tasked to do moving forward.

To get the vote so what do you think should be happening in these next few months lot of people.

-- to tune out during the summer right you know that these numbers came out of people aren't getting ready go on vacation may not be watching.

As many of the speeches as they've seen on TV -- going to be out about.

Right and -- and in the fall when they start paying attention September when kids are going back to school in what people start to focus.

I think those numbers will probably drive most of the conversation.

Among you know who was if you will.

But I think people are starting to make up their minds as to where they're where they're gonna go on where they're going to vote.

The one thing I will say is if if if Romney is its spending on a lot more time talking about.

What the president hasn't done I think part of that's appropriate as if to prove why he shouldn't be reelected.

But at the same time it can't just be an anti Obama message does that get you 49%.

People actually have to like Mitt Romney to get into -- 51%.

Get him over that hump.

So it in the same way is that the -- Obama needs to talk.

Respectively and and you thinking forward about the vision for the future for the economy Mitt Romney has to do pretty much exactly the same thing.

He has become more likable -- -- to become.

More candid and people have to be able to buy into his message.

For him to be successful as yet he hasn't done that it's been anti Obama message and that's just not going to be good enough --

Load More