September 14, 2009
Is the Obama magic wearing off?
In an earlier post, I cited the work Obama and his advisors did throughout the long campaign to build a remarkable passionate network of believers, what some have called the Obama Nation.
Now, with the summer heat in Washington lifting, it appears that there may be some early cracks in the Obama Nation.
Suddenly, the media pundits seem a whole lot less friendly and supportive. Witness Frank Rich's column, "Obama's Squandered Summer," in The New York Times yesterday. He accuses the president of lollygagging this summer and letting the health care debate get away from him and his administration. You can read more here (http://bit.ly/12YkHE).
And the left is bellyaching about all that Obama promised during his campaign and has not yet done, like bringing the U.S. troops home from Iraq. And this morning's news brings word that lawmakers on the left are none too happy about Obama's support for escalating the war in Afghanistan.
Then there are the approval ratings. According to Gallup, Obama's job approval rating currently stands at 53%, down from the 52-week high of 69% (at about the 100-day mark) and up from the recent low of 50%.
Clearly, it's one thing to build your network of believers. But then you have to keep them happy and engaged.
