It's the stupid economy

What’s President Obama’s biggest problem going into the 2012 election? It’s not the economy, it’s his message about the economy. Anyway, that’s what John B. Judis claims in The New Republic:

He has allowed Republicans to make a case that things are getting worse, and he has cooperated with them in taking measures that will actually make things worse. He has allowed Republicans to set the terms of the debate. It has been about the perils of deficits and debt. That is not just bad economics; it also leads Democrats into a political cul-de-sac.

Six dollar gasoline? Food prices going nowhere but up? 20% underemployment? Stagnating wages? S&P losing faith in our creditworthiness? Interest payments about to swallow the Federal budget whole?

Please just ignore all those men behind all those curtains while we tinker with the message.