Whatever the fate of health care legislation, persistently high unemployment has made “Where are the jobs?” the most potent Republican campaign argument as next year’s midterm elections come into view.

Publicly, White House aides and Congressional leaders have responded with incessant attempts to highlight benefits from the $787 billion economic stimulus package they enacted earlier this year. Privately, Mr. Obama’s economic advisers are sifting options for a new package of tax cuts and other job creation measures to be unveiled in next year’s State of the Union address — or earlier if pressure for action becomes irresistible…

“‘It could have been worse’ is of little utility in politics,” David Axelrod, Mr. Obama’s top political adviser, acknowledged…

Republicans say the trends will only magnify voters’ doubts about the effectiveness of the administration’s anti-recession policies. “For a lot of people, the ‘whether it’s working or not’ is filtered through jobs,” said a Republican pollster, Bill McInturff.