You Could Say Obama Actually Won the Domestic Issues Debate...Today.

The news that unemployment is finally under 8% is definitely welcome after the president's so-so performance at Wednesday night's debate--welcome enough that partisans on the other side are in more than a little denial.  It's unfortunate that they can't take any comfort from an improving economic outlook (should I also mention that the Dow closed at a five-year high? Or that existing home sales and starts appear to be on the rise?), but I don't think you could call this a conspiracy or a fake: things are getting better.  It's slow, but it's happening, and without the "assistance" of an obstructionist congressional GOP.

How bad are they? They are this bad:

Democrats Rep. Elijah Cummings and Rep. Ruben Hinojosa attempted to stop the House adjournment in order to conduct more work, but the Republicans refused to acknowledge them and instead adjourned the Pro Forma session until Tuesday, Oct 9 at 11 AM, while legislative work will not resume until November 13. In other words, House Republicans denied the Democrats’ request to do further work for the people. 

Not that the president can complain about this without being labelled a "whiner"--no matter how true it is.  So when Mitt Romney tries to minimize the reduction in unemployment by saying that this isn't what a real recovery looks like (and after month after month of growth and jobs gains, at least I'll say--a recession it isn't!) it's all anyone can do to keep from sighing and wondering what might have been if our politics were less dysfunctional.

But given the very low opinion the public has of congress, it is quite possible that this is already being taken into consideration by better-informed potential voters (or should I say, simply, "voters", since early voting is already underway?)

But of course, who even pays attention to what's actually happening on the ground when we could be looking at polls? And how do you even gauge whether there was a Romney debate-bounce before the jobs-numbers Obama bounce cancelled it out?

I don't even know, myself.  It seems to me, though, that Mitt Romney's campaign has not once ever had good news without it being cancelled on account of reality.  Why should this week be any different?