Romney Campaign Press Release - President Obama's "Doing Fine" Do-Over

"Today, President Obama will ask voters for a do-over on his campaign message that the private sector is 'doing fine.' But it's going to take more than a major economic speech to make Americans forget that President Obama has failed to deliver a major economic recovery. From Day One, Mitt Romney will help put Americans back to work and finally get our economy moving again." –Andrea Saul, Romney Campaign Spokesperson

Today, President Obama Will Deliver A Major Economic Speech To "Hit A Reset Button" On His Campaign:

President Obama Will Deliver A Major Economic Speech To Effectively "Hit A Reset Button On His Re-Election Campaign." "President Obama will use a speech in Ohio today effectively to hit a reset button on his re-election campaign, following a stretch of bad economic news and messaging missteps that have shaken Democrats' confidence and caused some allies to sound the alarm. At a community college outside Cleveland, Obama will seek to frame the economic debate with presumptive GOP nominee Mitt Romney, casting the November election as a stark choice rather than a referendum on his record." (Devin Dwyer, "President Obama To Hit Reset On Campaign In Ohio," ABC News, 6/14/12)

President Obama's Speech Is "Not Likely To Unveil New Ideas." "So far, President Barack Obama has not been able to convince most Americans that they are better off than they were four years ago. ... In an economic speech on Thursday that could set the tone for months of campaigning, Obama is not likely to unveil new ideas to boost the economy and create new jobs, according to Democrats familiar with the preparations for the address." (Andy Sullivan And Caren Bohan, "Analysis: Obama's Gamble: Asking For More Time To Fix Economy," Reuters, 6/13/12)

Why Is President Obama Trying To Hit Reset? Even Democrats Agree The President's "Doing Fine" Message Isn't Working:

"The Speech Comes At A Time When Even Allies Of The President Are Increasingly Voicing Their Concern About The Direction Of The Campaign." "Nonetheless, the speech comes at a time when even allies of the president are increasingly voicing their concern about the direction of the campaign. Among their observations is the idea that Obama is spending too much time criticizing opponent Mitt Romney and too little time framing a larger vision for where he wants to take the country if granted a second term." (Amy Gardner, "Obama To Give Major Campaign Speech Thursday," The Washington Post, 6/12/12)

Democratic Strategist James Carville Is "Worried" About President Obama's Economic Message. "James Carville said Wednesday he is 'worried' that President Barack Obama's message about an improving economy could be turning off voters. 'I'm worried that when the White House or the campaign talks about the progress that's being made, people take that as a signal that they think that things are fine and people don't feel they ought to believe that,' the Democratic strategist said on ABC's 'Good Morning America.'" (MJ Lee, "James Carville 'Worried' About Obama's Message On The Economy," Politico, 6/13/12)

Democratic Strategist Bob Shrum: "If You Just Let This Be A Referendum, I Don't Think The President Could Win." "According to Bob Shrum, a longtime Democratic consultant known for being chief strategist to John Kerry's 2004 presidential campaign, a referendum on the president would not be good for the standard bearer of his party. 'I think we ought to just face reality here. [If] you just let this be a referendum, I don't think the president could win,' Shrum said Sunday on "Face the Nation." 'Because the truth of the matter is, he may have created over 4.3 million jobs, he may have saved General Motors, but the country is still not back to where it needs to be.'" (Kevin Hechtkopf, "Dem Strategist Bob Shrum: 'I Don't Think The President Could Win' A Referendum," CBS News, 6/3/12)

High-Profile Democrats Question "The Focus Of [President Obama's] Pitch For A Second Term." "As some high-profile Democrats question the focus of his pitch for a second term, President Obama today stuck closely to his well-worn script, telling a group of 500 donors here that the economy is moving in the right direction and that his policies will accelerate the recovery." (Devin Dwyer, "Did He Get The Memo? Obama Sticks To Script On Stump," ABC News, 6/12/12)

Democrat Strategist: "What Is He Offering People? More Of The Same? That's Not Working. He Needs To Come Up With A Vision." (Amy Gardner, "Obama To Give Major Campaign Speech Thursday," The Washington Post, 6/12/12)

While President Obama May Think The Everyone Is "Doing Fine" In The Obama Economy, Millions Of Americans Are Still Struggling:

More Than Twenty-Three Million Americans Are Unemployed, Underemployed, Or Have Stopped Looking For Work. (Bureau Of Labor Statistics, www.bls.gov, 6/4/12)

· FLASHBACK: President Obama's Advisers Predicted The Stimulus Would Lower Unemployment To 6% Today – But It Has Remained Above 8% For 40 Straight Months. (Christina Romer and Jared Bernstein, "The Job Impact Of The American Recovery And Reinvestment Plan," 1/9/09)

Since President Obama Took Office, Median Household Income Has Declined By $4,300. "Yet real median household income in March was down $4,300 since Obama took office in January 2009 and down $2,900 since the June 2009 start of the economic recovery, according to an analysis of census data by Sentier Research, an economic- consulting firm in Annapolis, Maryland." (Mike Dorning, "Obama Fails To Stem Middle-Class Slide He Blamed On Bush," Bloomberg, 4/30/12)

Median Family Net Worth Has Hit A Two-Decade Low. "The Great Recession shrank Americans' wealth so much that in 2010 median family net worth was no more than it had been in 1992 after adjusting for inflation, the Federal Reserve reported Monday. Median net worth declined from $126,400 in 2007 to $77,300 in 2010, a Fed survey of family finances found. The median marks the point where half had more and half had less." (Martin Crutsinger, "Fed Report: Middle Class Net Worth Tumbles," The Associated Press, 6/12/12)

Nearly 16 Million Homeowners Are Underwater On Their Mortgages. "Despite rising home prices, more than 30% of borrowers, or close to 16 million homeowners, were underwater on their mortgage during the first quarter, according to Zillow. The percentage of borrowers who owed more on their home than it was worth increased to 31.4% during the quarter, up slightly from 31.1% three months earlier, according to Zillow." (Les Christie, "More Than 30% Of Mortgage Borrowers Still Underwater," CNN Money, 5/24/12)