WASHINGTON — Eventually, the economic recovery seems likely to pick up steam — whether Barack Obama or Mitt Romney is in the White House.
That's what many economic outlooks project. And the president — and the party — occupying the Oval Office will reap some of the benefits.
But first, Obama or Romney, together with Congress, will have to pull back from the "fiscal cliff," the widely deplored, politically created budget abyss facing the nation at year's end.
The betting on that ranges from mild optimism to nail-biting anxiety. But most analysts agree that if Washington resolves that looming crisis, then the recovery will ramp up, boosting economic growth and lowering unemployment during the next presidential term.