On Friday, I argued that the narrative of President Obama not "connecting" with the American public is a symptom of his declining approval ratings, not the cause.
In a new interview with Diane Sawyer, Obama made a similar point about how perceptions of his personality tend to vary with his popularity:
When your poll numbers drop, you're an idiot. When your poll numbers are high, you're a genius. If my poll numbers are low, then I'm cool and cerebral and cold and detached. If my poll numbers are high, well, he's calm and reasoned.
So that's -- that's the filter through which a lot of this stuff is interpreted.
It's a sad state of affairs when the president understands what the press is doing better than the reporters themselves.
Three of Obama's top aides were on last Sunday's talk shows and each of them had a different figure for the millions of jobs supposedly saved by the "stimulus." This, in the face of month after month job losses. The number of jobs is in free-fall. The unemployment rate far above the 8% Obama promised. It's clear to most Americans that the "stimulus" may be costing jobs rather than saving them.
How can Obama connect when the White House is putting out spin that is preposterous and not even consistent?
Posted by: David | January 26, 2010 at 09:53 AM
Amazingly, Bob Herbert in yesterday's New York Times said Obama has a credibility gap and is "less than candid". http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/26/opinion/26herbert.html?ref=opinion How can Obama connect, when even his strongest supporters don't believe him?
Posted by: David | January 26, 2010 at 10:25 AM
David: Obama's supporters discovered the guy IS unbelievable. Campaigned against individual insurance mandate and spending freeze - now pushing both. Unbelievable in the most literal sense.
Posted by: janinsanfran | January 26, 2010 at 08:37 PM
Brendan,
I would hope *any* President wouild be more perceptive than the average journalist!
:-)
Posted by: MartyB | January 27, 2010 at 04:52 PM