The stronger the labor market recovery in any given metropolitan area the worse Obama did in 2012 relative to 2008

In addition, racial and ethnic composition issues impacted not only the level of support for Obama in a given place but also the rate of change. The whiter the place the worse Obama did not just in absolute terms but relative to his 2008 performance. Also, some of the biggest falls in unemployment have happened in very white places. Obama did worst in places that were white and had strong recoveries while he did best in places that were non-white and had weak recoveries.