The Daily Caller‘s trenchant Mickey Kaus brilliantly skewers Politico, and by extension, the entire MSM, for continuing to provide the wind beneath the President’s wilting wings. Appropriately characterizing the President and his media idolaters as inhabiting an “alternate universe,” he goes on to say:
Headline in Politico–”How Obama rolled the other side.” Really! Let’s count the ways: 1) He didn’t get the deal he wanted–a $4 trillion “grand bargain” involving new revenues; 2) His White House command performance negotations–”Obama’s smart play” that gave him “home field advantage” (whatever that means)–seem to be increasingly not where the decisions are being made, the action having shifted to Congress; 3) He may well have to sign a law with substantial cuts and no revenues; 4) He’s been ”defining the opposition” as immature extremists who want to protect millionaires. There’s been just one problem with this always-appealing “disgusted headmaster” act, however–he has, as Politico puts it, ”struggled to move public opinion his way.”
Polls showed Americans still largely opposed to raising the debt limit, despite months of pushing by the White House. Much like it was with health care reform, Obama is not making a popular sale on a policy he feels strongly about. For all the effort, he also hasn’t move the needle yet on his own job approval rating.
Oh, well, that. “Public opinion” is always a challenge! But he impressed Politico. [Correction: Obama actually has “moved the needle.” His Gallup job approval dropped 11 points in the last 10 days–from +3 to -8]. … It’s as if Obama has avoided emasculation by becoming a star in a fake little drama of his own creation, in which the audience (so far) consists mainly of MSNBCviewers, source-greasing reporters and Bloomberg editorialists. No wonder he has “reality tv” on his mind. …
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