Americans will choose their next president and Congressional representatives on November 6, 2012, i.e., in just under three months. At this point in the campaign, the economy continues to be the driving issue for voters. More than nine out of ten registered US voters say the economy is extremely or very important to their vote in this year’s presidential election (July 19-22 USA Today/Gallup poll). US economic growth slowed to an annual rate of just 1.5 percent in the second quarter, compared with 2 percent in the first quarter of 2012, according to the Commerce Department economic report, published July 27, 2012. Economists assess that even 2 percent annual growth would add only about 90,000 jobs a month, too small a figure to lower the unemployment rate, which remains at 8.3 percent. This may signal trouble for President Barack Obama, whose prospects of reelection in November could hinge largely on the health of the economy.
