President Obama’s upcoming selection of a new top economic advisor could be a double-edged sword for struggling Ohio, according to noted academic economists in the state.

The replacement for Lawrence Summers could lift the Midwestern economy if Obama selects a person “who believes in open markets, in helping American companies compete in the global market,” said Wright State University economics Professor Robert Premus. He said after years of economic decline, Ohio is poised for growth as the weaker U.S. dollar strengthens American manufacturing and exports. “That’s where we’ll find our job growth.”

Premus, who knew Summers when both men were Washington economists during the Reagan administration, said he was disappointed with Summers’ performance in articulating Obama’s economic policy. He also said the stimulus, while necessary, strayed from a tight focus on job growth. “They were throwing money all over the place.” He said that’s changing.

“That’s exactly what Bill Clinton did when he was in a political jam in Washington: He came back with a very strong trade program,” Premus said.

Ned Hill, vice president of economic development at Cleveland State University, said the replacement, likely to be announced next week, signals a more “diplomatic, negotiating framework” for a president soon to be working with a GOP-controlled House, and a move away from the “very dominant ... steamrollerish” style of Summers.

“The focus is going to be on deficits,” Hill said. “It also means taxes are going to go up. Here in the Midwest where we have an aging infrastructure and need federal help, it’s going to be harder to come by.”