Abbreviated Pundit Round-up: Jobs are job #1

^{Visual source: Newseum}

If you missed yesterday's Daily Kos radio discussion between David Waldman and myself of the jobs report and its expected impact on politics, here it is.

Andrew Rosenthal:

'This is a time for Americans to choose whether they want more of the same,' Mr. Romney said from his vacation spot in New Hampshire, while delving deeply into fantasy. 'It doesn't have to be this way. America can do better. And this kick in the gut has to end.'

The Fix:

Jobs report unlikely to change election dynamic

Why do the jobs report have seemingly so little impact on the overall dynamic of the presidential race?

One reason is that not everyone is refreshing the Bureau of Labor Statistics page. Gallup found just 22 percent followed news about June's unemployment report 'very closely' in a survey  conducted three days after it was released. Only 55 percent followed it even 'somewhat closely,' which is below the 60 percent average across 200 other news stories Gallup has tracked in the past two decades.

Second, not everyone interprets the report in the same way, and many partisan see their own 'facts' in the jobs numbers. Fully 57 percent of Republicans described the May jobs report as 'negative,' but only 45 percent of independents and 28 percent of Democrats said the same. Democrats were much more likely to say the news was 'mixed', though 15 percent described the reading as positive. Notably, respondents who followed news about the report closely were 20 points more likely to see it as negative.

WaPo polling unit

David Lautner:

With yet another discouraging jobs report on Friday ' a seasonally adjusted figure of 80,000 net new jobs created last month -- Obama's apparent ability to defy economic gravity highlights some key electoral realities: Partisanship trumps statistics, national figures may be tempered by those in battleground states and undecided voters tend to tune out much of what happens in campaigns, at least until the fall's presidential debates, when the remaining holdouts sometimes take sides.

Ian Reifowitz:

In terms of black Americans specifically, I believe both Obama and Douglass would characterize black Americans' relationship to their country as follows: Blacks have both dreamed of a better future in America and fought to make it happen over time.

We progressives must emphasize that our responsibility as a country is to make those very American dreams of equality and justice come true for members of every group that make up our people.

Dana Milbank:

Banfield tried to read a list of things Duckworth has talked about other than her military service.

'No, she hasn't, Ashleigh. No, Ashleigh, no, she hasn't.'

'Do you want to hear it, Congressman? Do you want to hear it or do you just want to rail on me?'

'Hey, Ashleigh.'

'I've got the list here.'

'No, Ashleigh, Ashleigh.'

Banfield read part of the list.

'Ashleigh, Ashleigh, Ashleigh,' Walsh replied. 'Hey, Ashleigh, Ashleigh, Ashleigh.'

This was all about ex-deadbeat dad Joe Walsh avoiding owning up for his despicable remarks about Tammy Duckworth. Just reading the transcript gives you an idea about what a loon this guy is.