Romney Campaign Press Release - We Can Do Better Than President Obama's "Progress"

"Candidate Obama promised to 'change America' for the middle class by adopting a 'different measure' of progress. But instead of delivering more jobs and higher incomes, President Obama's policies have left the middle class in worse shape than when he took office, with chronic unemployment, skyrocketing gas prices, and poverty on track to hit fifty-year highs. As president, Mitt Romney will actually deliver for the middle class by helping create 12 million new jobs and a more prosperous future for the next generation." – Andrea Saul, Romney Campaign Spokesperson

Four Years Ago, Candidate Obama Claimed He Wanted To "Change America" And Adhere To A "Very Different Measure" Of Progress:

Candidate Obama, At The 2008 Democratic Convention: "It's Time For Us To Change America. ... We Democrats Have A Very Different Measure Of What Constitutes Progress..." OBAMA: "Well it's time for them to own their failure. It's time for us to change America. You see, we Democrats have a very different measure of what constitutes progress in this country." (Senator Barack Obama, Remarks, Denver, CO, 8/28/08)

Candidate Obama: "We Measure Progress By How Many People Can Find A Job ... Whether You Can Put A Little Extra Money Away At The End Of Each Month." OBAMA: "We measure progress by how many people can find a job that pays the mortgage; whether you can put a little extra money away at the end of each month so you can someday watch your child receive her college diploma." (Senator Barack Obama, Remarks, Denver, CO, 8/28/08)

But President Obama Hasn't Lived Up To His Own Measure Of Progress – Millions Of Americans Are Still Struggling To Find Jobs:

More Than Twenty-Three Million Americans Are Unemployed, Underemployed, Or Have Stopped Looking For Work. (Bureau Of Labor Statistics, www.bls.gov, 8/26/12)

• Since President Obama Took Office, The Nation Has Lost 316,000 Jobs And The Unemployment Rate Has Remained Above 8% For 42 Straight Months. (Bureau Of Labor Statistics, www.bls.gov, 8/26/12)

The Average Duration Of Unemployment Remains At 39 Weeks. "The average duration of unemployment increased to a record 41 weeks in November and remains at 39 weeks, Labor Department data show. Almost 5.2 million Americans have been out of work for at least six months." (Jeff Kearn, "U.S. Incomes Fell More In Recovery, Sentier Says," Bloomberg, 8/23/12)

"Almost 5.2 Million Americans Have Been Out Of Work For At Least Six Months." (Jeff Kearn, "U.S. Incomes Fell More In Recovery, Sentier Says," Bloomberg, 8/23/12)

The Congressional Budget Office Projects "The Unemployment Rate Will Stay Above 8 Percent For The Rest Of The Year." "The unemployment rate will stay above 8 percent for the rest of the year, CBO estimates, and the rate of inflation in consumer prices will remain low." ("An Update To The Budget And Economic Outlook: Fiscal Years 2012 To 2022," Congressional Budget Office, 8/22/12)

And Americans Aren't Able To "Put A Little Extra Money Away" – They're Facing Declining Incomes And Higher Poverty:

"Across The Country, In Almost Every Demographic, Americans Earn Less Today Than They Did In June 2009, When The Recovery Technically Started." (Catherine Rampell, "Big Income Losses For Those Near Retirement," The New York Times, 8/23/12)

"For The First Time Since The End Of World War II, Mean Family Incomes Declined For Americans In All Income Tiers." "Their downbeat take on their economic situation comes at the end of a decade in which, for the first time since the end of World War II, mean family incomes declined for Americans in all income tiers. But the middle-income tier—defined in this Pew Research analysis as all adults whose annual household income is two-thirds to double the national median —is the only one that also shrunk in size, a trend that has continued over the past four decades." ("The Lost Decade Of The Middle Class," Pew Research Center, 8/22/12)

• Pew Research: "The Middle Class Has Shrunk In Size, Fallen Backward In Income And Wealth..." "Since 2000, the middle class has shrunk in size, fallen backward in income and wealth, and shed some—but by no means all—of its characteristic faith in the future." ("The Lost Decade Of The Middle Class," Pew Research, 8/22/12)

"The Ranks Of America's Poor Are On Track To Climb To Levels Unseen In Nearly Half A Century..." "The ranks of America's poor are on track to climb to levels unseen in nearly half a century, erasing gains from the war on poverty in the 1960s amid a weak economy and fraying government safety net." (Hope Yen, "US Poverty On Track To Rise To Highest Since 1960s," The Associated Press, 7/22/12)

More Than 146 Million Americans Are Either In Poverty Or Considered Low Income – Which Represents Nearly Half Of The U.S. Population. "About 97.3 million Americans fall into a low-income category, commonly defined as those earning between 100 and 199 percent of the poverty level, based on a new supplemental measure by the Census Bureau that is designed to provide a fuller picture of poverty. Together with the 49.1 million who fall below the poverty line and are counted as poor, they number 146.4 million, or 48 percent of the U.S. population." (Hope Yen, "Census Shows 1 In 2 People Are Poor Or Low-Income," The Associated Press, 12/15/11)