Democrats Struggle to Turn Economic Gains Into Political Ones --- WASHINGTON — April’s sharp and unexpected drop in the nation’s unemployment rate is a springtime gift to President Obama, whose sagging political fortunes could brighten if the burst of job creation holds by the midterm elections this fall. -- The White House is certain to seize on the jobless rate — along with a rising stock market and economic forecasts predicting faster growth in the months ahead — to try to retain control of the Senate and hold off Republican gains in the House. -- But the positive economic news is no guarantee of electoral success for the Democrats, even if the trend continues through the summer. -- Although the unemployment rate is now at the lowest level of Mr. Obama’s presidency, his job approval rating is also near a record low for him. The president has struggled to capitalize politically on the improving economy, in part because so many middle-income Americans are not reaping the fruits of the recovery. -- Wages remain flat for millions of people, enormous stock market gains have flowed largely to the most affluent Americans and housing remains depressed around the country. -- “One number, good or bad, won’t change everything” for voters, said Robert Gibbs, who was Mr. Obama’s first press secretary. “A sustained pattern of good numbers, from unemployment to wages to consumer confidence, could make a real difference come November. But for that to happen, it has to feel real to them.” --- For that reason, Mr. Obama on Friday tempered his enthusiasm for the economic news with a sharp message about improving the welfare of the middle class. “We have to keep a relentless focus on job creation and creating more opportunities for working families,” Mr. Obama said, hailing the “grit and determination of the American people” for creating “9.2 million new jobs over 50 consecutive months of job growth.” -- Mr. Obama no longer has to worry about an election of his own. But the job numbers remain critical to his party’s fortunes in elections in November that will have a drastic impact on the balance of his term and help shape his legacy. A Republican takeover of the Senate, which a number of Democrats say is possible, would limit Mr. Obama’s ability to shape the judiciary, including the Supreme Court, and would give Republicans a new platform from which to attack the president’s agenda. --- “President Obama ought to call on his Democratic-led Senate to take up the stacks of House-passed jobs measures so we can get this economy moving again,” Speaker John A. Boehner said in a statement. -- In his remarks on Friday, Mr. Obama spent only a moment trumpeting the good news about jobs, then quickly shifted focus to repeat his demand that Republicans in Congress sign on to Democratic economic proposals. -- “There’s plenty more that Congress should be doing, from raising the minimum wage to creating good construction jobs rebuilding America,” Mr. Obama said. “And I want to work with them wherever I can, but I keep acting on my own wherever I must.” - More, NYTimes