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WSJ opinion page deputy editor Dan Henninger breaks down how American economic sentiment will impact the presidential election.
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Fewer Americans believe this economy is on the uptick only three in ten adults now say the country is headed in the right direction according to a new Associated Press.
GFK all.
I'm Dan had angered the deputy editor at the Wall Street Journal's opinion page is here with us in studio so I guess that means if you're Mitt Romney just show up formatted up.
-- if you -- if -- Mitt Romney is start competing as hard as you can because clearly this election has become a jump ball.
I mean that AP dig down into the details that AP poll and what they're showing is voters although although.
They feel the economy is really bad there almost evenly divided on whether Romney or Obama could do a better job.
Of rescuing the economy now if you're the incumbent president I think that's pretty bad news you've been around for three years you're the guy everyone sees every date.
If if you're just running even with somebody was just walked in to be your challenger you're not doing too well.
But I think the burden is heavily on Mitt Romney.
To talk about why the economy isn't such bad shape and why his private sector reforms would do better -- -- -- isn't so far.
He's been talking about the wonderful American spirit of free opera or ship them right entrepreneurial capitals of I think he has to go deeper and explaining what he means by those things.
Axel because it's a lot to thwart a Mitt Romney because as you pointed out in your -- today the president has very been very.
Muddled and his messages may -- of talking around.
What seems to be he he's very firmly in favor of government spending and more government spending -- but he dances around that 'cause he knows he's gonna get hammered.
By Mitt Romney and the right for saying that been steady just talks and kind of these.
In a way that makes no sense at the at the same time.
-- in that Cleveland speech -- community college that got panned by eleven Democrats he did say something that was important which is that.
The choice between mean Barack Obama in Mitt Romney constitutes too.
Fundamentally different views -- the economy's.
Should grow and he's right about that just did you describe Barack Obama believes essentially an industrial policy essentially in the government leading -- economy through these investments in energy infrastructure and education.
Where is Mitt Romney obviously is much more rooted in the private.
Sector right and the American people do have to make that choice this is not one of these sort of jumped on the middle things right the presidential elect thought your column and it's always good to dub in this one in particular because it it a lot times I think we oversimplified by the way we had a fairly big piece of breaking -- -- sought.
-- at the bottom of the screen the John price of the commerce secretary is resigning so talk more about that was incidents out in California the car accidents.
Everything -- -- -- get more than that but you know you're looking at the at the specifics of these guys -- choice not just they know president's been.
Elected with the unemployment rated X percent or something like that it's not that simple.
You if you're the challenger you can't win with not -- especially now because the parties her early evenly to -- divided Democrats will vote for Barack Obama.
Republicans will vote for Mitt Romney.
Is those people in the center and it's a very complex southern -- some of them are hurting more than others and they're waiting for these candidates to give them some understanding why the economy is in such bad trip.
And B what they're going to do to make it better.
The president can't say why other than he let me talk about it won't talk about it because he bear some of the responsibility welcome -- better you know Democrats like Stan Greenberg and James Carville are not telling the president admit the -- -- -- -- to -- good because it isn't good not fine tell people what you're going to do and I think he's beginning to do that.
And the burden is now on Romney to take his Obama's program apart piece by piece in some detail give people something to think about beyond sound -- arts and always had a serious and see guys so my.
