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The real number is around 23%, which includes people unemployed along with those who stopped looking and those who are underemployed working part time or lower quality jobs than what they are qualified for...
The importance is that the number is improving rather than getting worse and that will matter more in the election than all the conventions and debates combined.
Now Obama gets to say factually that the economy is recovering and Romney can say its happening too slowly. A much better position for Obama than if the numbers got worse.
The numbers are being compared to the same numbers in the same way by impartial policy wonks from both parties. You can argue the number is off, but its off by as much as it always is, so all that matters is the rate of change and the number this time versus last time.
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