When it comes to the election, most young American voters have this attitude: “It’s the economy, stupid”.

With half of all college graduates lacking full-time employment, jobs are a serious economic concern to students.  As a result, Washington State University-Pullman student Corrine Harris is upset that the President has been less than honest about real employment numbers.

Increased consumer spending in the United States bodes well for the winner of the 2012 presidential election, but not for most Americans.

While increased spending is a sign of confidence in the economy, American consumers made up for the difference by spending money for the third straight month, money they should have saved.

There have been some slow improvements in economic areas, but that does not disprove the fact that the economy is gaining far below its potential. Gains in one area of the economy are supplemented by losses from American households.

The Department of Commerce said Monday that consumer spending increased 0.8 percent in September from the August 0.5 percent increase. September saw the highest increase in consumer spending since February. Income also grew 0.4 percent, the biggest gain since March.

At first glance the report reflects rising consumer confidence and the early stages of economic recovery for America. Unfortunately, after digging a little deeper the numbers do not paint the same picture.

Adjusting the increase in personal income for inflation and taxes, income was flat in September. In other words, it did not increase at all, said Paul Dales, a senior U.S. economist at Capital Economics. Dales said spending would likely not increase in the coming months due to weak economic growth.

In addition,  consumers can cut their savings only to a certain point, and taxes will rise in January if Congress fails to reach a budget deal, he said. Both of these events could cut consumer spending even more as Americans would be forced to pay additional taxes and cutting costs would become necessary.

If voters do not look beyond the Department of Commerce’s report, President Barack Obama will have an excellent chance of voters re-electing him by a landslide. Polls vary, but the recent numbers show Governor Mitt Romney and Obama in a dead heat, according to CNN.

Romney’s desire to fix the economy often clashes with Obama’s tired claim that recovery is underway. On the surface, Obama appears to be correct. But, the problem is neither the facts nor economists like Dales can stand behind the true economic growth Obama has been campaigning on.

If Romney wins the election, I have no doubt he will look far beyond the surface and strive to catalyze economic growth by treating the United States like one of his businesses. But if Obama is re-elected, Americans will wonder about the fate of the United States as it weathers four more years of loitering economic growth.

Obama’s campaign rests on deceptive numbers, while Romney has drawn supporters by proposing strategies to resurrect the economy. Right now the country needs more than a shock to the heart; it needs a miracle.

As we near four years with Obama as president, it would seem unlikely he will provide such a solution.

It is evident the September gains in consumer spending, an area which drives nearly 70 percent of economic activity, are superficial. Increases in spending resulted not from a rise in income, but from a decrease in savings. For college families this may mean less money will go into student loans or next semester’s tuition.

If America wants to maintain its current standard of living we must reverse this detrimental economic downturn. If Obama does win the election the rest of us can only hope he does not forget an old campaign promise: real change.