What am I missing? (Obama's performance from a historical perspective) [View All]

The 3 charts below show what many people consider to be the ultimate indication of the health of an economic recovery - the unemployment rate. I've repeatedly read here that the current Great Recession is a "jobless recovery" like no other and how Obama isn't doing enough to bring the rate down. Calls for the return of the WPA are common. In 1929, the U.S. unemployment rate averaged 3%. By 1933, 25% of all American workers and 37% of all nonfarm workers were unemployed. The WPA wasn't passed until April of 1935 - two years after the unemployment rate hit 25%. Unemployment didn't lower to 10% until 1941 - 6 years later (yes, it was still a major achievement considering how high the peak was.) Reagan started his term with the same unemployment rate as Obama (~7.5%). Granted, the rate wasn't rising rapidly at the time, but it was 6 months before he did anything to "help" the economy and look what the result was! Obama acted immediately upon getting into office and the slowing of the unemployment rise was already evident just 10 months later. This appears to be very good performance when put into historical perspective.

If the unemployment rate has indeed peaked during this current downturn (remains to be seen), shouldn't Obama get credit for negotiating one of the faster recoveries (fastest?) from a major economic downturn (>10% unemployment)?