Public confidence in President Obama has hit a new low, according to the latest Washington Post-ABC News poll. Four months before midterm elections that will define the second half of his term, nearly six in 10 voters say they lack faith in the president to make the right decisions for the country, and a clear majority once again disapproves of how he is dealing with the economy.I do think the President has finally realized that he needs to fight, at least use fighting words, which is a step forward. But the albatross around his neck is the economy, and specifically, the unemployment rate. That rate is directly attributable to the President's decision not to push for a full stimulus, but rather cut the stimulus in half and then give 35% away to the GOP in the form of useless tax cuts. The result is exactly what Krugman and Stiglitz predicated at the time: high unemployment and a limping recovery, mixed with a threat of a double dip recession.
It may seem like beating a dead horse to note that we're in this current mess because the President screwed up, but until he shows that he's learned his lesson, and is willing to fight for things, from the beginning, and full-bore, it's worth repeating. Bad decisions have consequences, and they tend to come back and bite you in the ass.
