On the eve of the 2012 Democratic National Convention, it appears that President Obama is still in for a fight to reclaim his position in November.
CNN's chief national correspondent, John King, breaks down the pros and cons of Obama's re-election chances and points out that tough economic times and high unemployment might be his roughest issues at hand.
Among the advantages:
* Incumbency: Yes there are downsides to this, but the stage and powers of the presidency are on the whole an advantage, especially in a close, competitive race.
* More room for error: Mitt Romney needs to win Florida and Ohio, and at least two of these three — Virginia, North Carolina and Wisconsin — to have a realistic shot at 270. Obama, on the other hand, enters his convention with several paths to cobble 270 together …
Yet the challenges are obvious … The economy is of course the driving force behind the very different 2012 map and mood.
The unemployment rate in February 2009 — Obama's first full month is office — was 8.3%. Last month, it was 8.3%.
To the Romney campaign, that is proof the president's economic policies have failed. The Obama team, in turn, notes that unemployment hit 10% in October 2009, and argues that the president's policies are, albeit slowly, helping pull the economy out of a deep recession he inherited.
Read more at CNN.