As Joe and I warned, the debate has now moved from policy to Obama's character. This is dangerous territory for the President. If enough Democrats question whether Obama has what it takes to be president, that message will seep into the public at large. I suspect it already has. And conclusions about your character are very difficult to ever recover from. Thus, the issue isn't whether "the left of the left" is losing confidence in Obama, it's whether disaffection with the president in the Democratic base will poison his credibility, and damage his brand, with all voters.
From Gene Lyons at Salon:
Striking poses cost them nothing. Stimulus money found its way into their districts anyway. Remarkably, Obama failed to get the message. Seemingly preoccupied with the president's image as a transformative figure, the White House keeps trying to negotiate with people who seek his political destruction.
On healthcare reform, Obama has mainly his own high-minded fecklessness to blame. To alter the cliché, he hasn't just brought a knife to a gunfight, he's brought a cake knife. The GOP's armed for war; he's showed up with a multilayered birthday cake of a bill hardly anybody understands.
While insurance reform's opponents peddle hysterical falsehoods, Obama counters with professorial explanations. Iowa Sen. Charles Grassley's shameful endorsement of "death panels" should have taught Obama the futility of making nice.
Does being compared to Hitler annoy Obama? How can anybody tell?
....You won't hear this on TV, but Obama's slumping approval numbers reflect that many Democrats now worry he's a gutless wonder.
