As much of the nation endures a heat wave, presidential politics are shifting into high gear. President Obama just wrapped up his first bus tour of the campaign making stops in Ohio and Pennsylvania, two hotly contested battleground states.
Retail politics come easy to the president. He easily commands a crowd and charms a rope line as well as any. However, the all- American week ended on a sour note. Friday the Bureau of Labor Statistics announced a meager 80,000 jobs were created last month, the Dow Jones dropped, and many Americans rolled their eyes as they wiped July sweat from their brows.
Eight-thousand jobs isn't even close to the number needed to sustain population growth, let alone cut the 8.2 percent unemployment rate. The June report marked the third straight month of lackluster hiring and serves as a manifestation of the uphill climb Obama may face in November.
"It's still tough out there," Obama said at a campaign stop in Ohio.
Tough indeed. Right now, the president risks facing the highest unemployment rate during an election since FDR.