THE ECONOMY WAS NEVER GOING TO BE AN ISSUE:

Four years ago, Mitt Romney faced a problem in his quest for the White House: His portrayal of a weakened, staggering economy kept running up against the reality of strong job growth in the swing states.

At the same time, in many of those states--Virginia, Ohio and Florida--it was Republican governors who were praising their homegrown turnarounds while Mr. Romney spoke darkly of the overall economy.

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump is caught in the same bind now. He portrays an economy in crisis, talking frequently of wastelands and disaster areas, while many of the states that will determine if he wins or loses are doing distinctly well.

Seven key toss-up states--New Hampshire, Virginia, Colorado, Iowa, Florida, North Carolina and Ohio--all now boast an unemployment rate below the 4.9% national average.

And all 11 of the most important swing states--including, for Mr. Trump, the all-important state of Pennsylvania--have added significantly to their overall jobs tallies since the recovery from the last recession began in 2009.

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