Democrats are focusing on jobs as a central theme for their political strategy for next year’s elections. But given that the unemployment rate is still at 8.9 percent, that tactic may not work so well,
The Hill reports.
Democrats ranging from the congressional leadership to the miniscule freshman class are emphasizing the jobs theme. But it’s highly uncertain where the unemployment rate will move between now and next fall. Moreover, Republicans have promised spending cuts rather than a jobs bill.
“Republicans have taken the spotlight because Republicans have created the impression that cutting the deficit will somehow create jobs,” Robert Reich, labor secretary in the Clinton administration, told The Hill. “It’s a whopper, but unless Democrats counter it forcefully and make their own case for job creation, the Republican whopper will become conventional wisdom.”