Though unemployment remained high by Election Day – 7.9 percent in October – and economic growth sluggish, the trends were at least heading in the right direction. Many voters factored in the full-blown crisis Obama had inherited when he took office, and they bought the argument of former President Clinton that Obama did as well as could be expected. Mr. Clinton’s extensive campaigning in the final weeks, with particular outreach to white working-class voters, also probably helped.

Mike Groll/AP
In this Oct. 25 photo, a sign attracts job-seekers during a job fair at the Marriott Hotel in Colonie, N.Y.