Romney Campaign Press Release - Malaise Takes Center Stage At Obama's Convention

"When President Obama picked President Carter to give a primetime address at this year's Democratic Convention, he couldn't have picked a more appropriate surrogate. From high unemployment to a broken deficit pledge, both presidents disappointed the nation by failing to get the economy back on track. From Day One, Mitt Romney will deliver a new direction that emphasizes pro-growth policies — not the failed liberal policies of the past." — Ryan Williams, Romney Campaign Spokesman

Today, The Democratic National Convention Announced That President Jimmy Carter Would Deliver A Primetime Address:

President Jimmy Carter Will Address This Year's Democratic National Convention In A Primetime Address. "Former President Jimmy Carter will deliver remarks via video at the Democratic National Convention in North Carolina this September, the convention's committee announced Tuesday." ("Carter To Address Democratic Convention," CNN, 8/7/12)

President Carter Is An Appropriate Surrogate For President Obama — They Both Ran For Re-Election With Unacceptably High Unemployment Rates:

Under President Obama, The National Unemployment Rate Has Increased To 8.3% -- The Highest Rate In Five Months.  "The unemployment rate ticked higher to 8.3% in July from 8.2% in the previous month. This is the highest rate since February." (Greg Robb, "Nonfarm Payroll Up 163,000 In July, Rate At 8.3%" MarketWatch, 8/3/12)

• "The Unemployment Rate Has Been Stuck Above 8 Percent For More Than Three Years, The Longest Run Since The Great Depression." (Lucia Mutikani, "Jobs Increase In July, But Jobless Rate Rises To 8.3 Percent," Reuters, 8/3/12)

In 1980, President Carter Faced A National Unemployment Rate That Was A "Matter Of Great Embarrassment" To His Re-Election Campaign. "It is a matter of great embarrassment to Carter -- and an example of his failed economic policies, his critics say -- that the nation's unemployment rate is now 7.5 percent of the labor force, virtually the same as when he defeated Gerald Ford in 1976, promising he could do much better." (R. Gregory Nokes, "Carter, Reagan Have Differing Economic Plans," The Associated Press, 11/2/80)

President Obama And President Carter Both Broke Their Promise To Rein In The Federal Deficit:

President Obama Shattered His Pledge To Cut The Deficit In Half In His First Term. "The 2013 budget the president submitted today does not come close to meeting this promise of being reduced to $650 billion for fiscal year 2013. The president noted in that 2009 speech the Obama administration inherited a $1.3 trillion deficit. The deficit was similarly $1.3 trillion in 2011, is projected to be $1.15 trillion in 2012, and the president's budget claims it will be $901 billion in 2013." (Jake Tapper, "Obama's Broken Deficit Promise," ABC News, 2/13/12)

• Under President Obama, America Is Facing Its Fourth Consecutive Year Of Trillion-Dollar Budget Deficits. "The latest budget figures from the White House predict this year's federal budget deficit will end up at $1.2 trillion. That would make the fourth consecutive year of trillion dollar-plus deficits during President Obama's administration." (Andrew Taylor, "Administration Projects $1.2T 2012 Budget Deficit," The Associated Press, 7/27/12)

President Carter "Failed In His First-Term Promise To Balance The Budget By 1981" And Ended 1980 With The Second-Largest Deficit On Record At The Time "Carter failed in his first-term promise to balance the budget by 1981. His administration ended 1980 with a budget deficit of $58.9 billion, the second largest on record, and projects a deficit of $30 billion for 1981. The president has offered no new target for balancing the budget." (R. Gregory Nokes, "Carter, Reagan Have Differing Economic Plans," The Associated Press, 11/2/80)

Presidents Obama And President Carter Both Presided Over Economies That Were Stuck In Neutral:

President Obama Has Presided Over "The Worst Economic Recovery America Has Ever Had." CBS' SCOTT PELLEY: "Good evening. This is the worst economic recovery America has ever had. We'd been looking for hopeful signs, but today the chairman of the Federal Reserve threw a cold splash of reality on those hopes." ("CBS Evening News," 7/17/12)

President Carter's Economy "Seemed At Times To Be Careening Out Of Control." "Mr. Carter has changed his economic course several times in the last four years, trying to put the brakes on an economy that seemed at times to be careening out of control." (David E. Rosenbaum, "Campaign Fog Obscures The Sharp Contrast On Most Issues," The New York Times, 11/2/80)

President Obama And President Carter Have Both Watched The Nation's Gas Prices Skyrocket:

Under President Obama, "Gas Prices Have Surged In Recent Weeks." "Gas prices have surged in recent weeks creating fresh openings for GOP attacks against President Obama. Gas prices have surged in recent weeks and analysts predict they'll keep rising..." (Ben Geman, "Rising Gas Prices Haunt Obama," The Hill, 8/5/12)

Under President Carter, Families Faced Gas Prices That "Seemed To Jump" Every Time They Filled Up Their Gas Tanks. "As Americans approached Labor Day 1979, the signs of discontent that would devastate the Democrats in 1980 already were clear. The price of gasoline seemed to jump another nickel a gallon every time the family car needed another fill-up. Months of chaos in once-friendly Iran raised the spectre of even higher prices and possibly a return to gasoline lines." (Donald M. Rothberg, "A Presidential Campaign Long In The Making," The Associated Press, 11/8/80)