The United States is bracing for growth figures that will set the tone for the last 100 days of the race to the White House and help decide if the Fed pulls the trigger on more economic stimulus.

Early Friday in Washington, the Commerce Department will release its first estimate of how much the world’s largest economy grew in the second quarter of this year, from April to June.

With the fog of crisis hanging thick in the air, economists’ estimates range wildly.

While Briefing.com puts the Wall Street consensus at 1.2 percent, respected estimates range from close to zero to fairly robust growth of two percent.

Anything close to two percent would be a thumping victory for President Barack Obama, all but killing suggestions that the economy is ready to take another dive.

According to one political scientist, two percent growth would even portend near-certain victory for the president on November 6.