Why today was a good day for Barack Obama.

Every day until the election, Slate will offer up one reason to be optimistic for your candidate.

14 days to go:

Today’s Good News for Obama: Mitt Romney has been hitting President Obama hard on gas prices and unemployment. But in swing states, the numbers are now on Obama’s side. Gas prices actually fell 9 cents last week, and in eight swing states, gas prices are below the national average of $3.72 a gallon. As for jobs, unemployment rates have fallen in nine swing states in the past month. What’s more, Virginia, Ohio, Wisconsin, and Iowa all benefit from lower gas prices and unemployment below the national average. Obama may be more than happy if Romney chooses to keep pointing to gas prices and unemployment figures in these vital states.

See Barack Obama’s earlier rays of hope.

See Mitt Romney’s earlier rays of hope.