The lousy economic numbers are actually helping Obama, because the Democrats have convinced people that the Republicans are going to take away Unemployment benefits and other relief.
Heads they win, tails we lose.
Obama proposed the rules on Extended Benefits, Obama signed off on the rule that EB expires when the state rate falls below the national rate, and Democrats make up the majority of states where this is happening:
"The biggest cuts will take place in the country’s most populous state, California, where 95,300 people will lose their benefits, according to an estimate produced by the National Employment Law Project. Other states cutting off extended benefits include Texas (22,700), Illinois (26,100), Florida (29,400), Pennsylvania (20,000), North Carolina (20,100), Colorado (11,100) and Connecticut (10,700).Unemployed workers in these states will see the maximum duration of their unemployment benefits cut from 99 weeks to between 73 and 79 weeks, depending on the state.
These eight states will join 25 others that have already cut extended benefits, including 15 last month [April 2012]. The NELP estimates that more than 400,000 have seen their jobless benefits abruptly cut off, not counting the many thousands every month who reach the end of their benefits five months earlier than they would have without the cuts."