Dems And The Economy

Democrats on the economy.  Delegates and big guns on jobs and how they see an Obama second term.

Barnburner speeches from fired-up Democrats and the First Lady last night.  They had the faithful roaring to the rafters in Charlotte. Sometimes, sitting on the rim of the action, we could barely hear our show for the din.  It was all Barack Obama as good man, and Mitt Romney as “bad Santa,” who would lay off his own reindeer for a profit, and outsource the elves.

But in and outside the hall, there is a lot of no-joke concern about the American economy.  And 8.3 percent unemployment.

This hour, On Point:  From Charlotte, Democrats and more on Obama, the economy, and the road ahead.
-Tom Ashbrook

Karen Tumulty, national political correspondent at the Washington Post.

Neil Giuliano, Democratic delegate.

Linda Chapa LaVia, Democratic delegate.

Jared Bernstein, senior fellow at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities and former chief economist and economic policy adviser to Vice President Joseph Biden.

Andrew Biggs, resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute.

Slate "That was President Obama's response to a question from a local Colorado TV reporter on Monday about what grade he thinks he deserves for how he handled the economy during his first term. We've embedded the clip below given that the "incomplete" quote is making the rounds online, and is already drawing fire from Republicans who say a president's handling of the economy is a pass/fail proposition."

Washington Post "Ignoring, for a moment, the fact that the economy isn’t as bad as it was in 1980, there’s a problem with Ryan’s rhetoric—his running mate doesn’t agree. Earlier this year, in an interview with conservative radio host Laura Ingraham, Mitt Romney agreed that the economy was in fact getting better:"

CNN "When the president entered office on Jan. 20, 2009, the economy was issue No. 1. It still is today. Here's a look at where the economy stood then and what's changed since."