美国失业率下降或对奥巴马竞选有利

“If Obama is re-elected and he comes to believe that his radicalism was vindicated despite the economy, despite the deficit, despite everything, I can’t imagine what his second term would be like."

金里奇说：“要是奥巴马重新当选的话，他就会认为他的激进主义被证明是正确的，不管经济多糟，不管赤字多高，不管一切如何。我无法想像他的第二个任期将会是个什么样子。”

At the moment, Gingrich and former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney are at the top of public opinion polls measuring support for the eight Republican presidential contenders. Romney continues to emphasize his experience in the private sector.

目前，金里奇和前麻萨诸塞州州长罗姆尼在有关8名共和党参选人的支持率进行的民调当中排在最前面。

“I want to go to work to help American businesses again succeed, thrive, add employees," Romney has said during his campaign. "I don’t hate business. I like business!”

A steady trend of improvement in the jobless figures would greatly help the president’s chances of re-election, according to Democratic political strategist Steve McMahon.

民主党的政治战略人士麦克马洪说，失业数字如果能稳步改进的话，将会大大增进奥巴马重新当选的机会。

“What matters most in a presidential campaign at the end when it comes to the economy is 'do people feel like things are getting better and on a path to getting better, or do they think things are the same or getting worse?'”

麦克马洪说：“在总统竞选活动中，最终涉及到经济的关键问题就是，‘人们感觉形势好转，正在朝好转的道路上发展，还是他们认为经济还是老样子或是更糟了？’”

McMahon and other Democrats hope Mr. Obama can follow the example of former president Ronald Reagan.

麦克马洪和其他民主党人希望，奥巴马能够效仿前总统里根的榜样。

Mr. Reagan won a sweeping re-election victory in 1984 even with the unemployment rate at 7.2 percent, largely because voters believed the country was headed in the right direction.

1984年，里根就是在失业率为7.4%的形势下以压倒性的优势赢得了竞选连任的胜利。这主要是因为当时美国选民认为国家是朝正确的方向迈进。