In his piece on the Obama presidency, Gerald Caplan violates the No.1 rule of politics: In a democracy, the people are always right. Whether your candidate wins or loses, you don't blame the people.
This rule applies even to Americans, notwithstanding how nutty they appear from time to time in Canadian eyes. Okay, more than from time to time. Nevertheless, the American people were right when they elected Barack Obama. They will be right if their support for Democratic candidates wanes in the mid-term elections. And they will be right whatever they decide in the 2012 presidential race.
Aside from violating the cardinal rule of politics, Mr. Caplan also happens to be wrong about why the Obama presidency is in trouble. According to the latest Pew Research poll, over the summer Mr. Obama has been losing the support of those who did not vote for him but were willing to give him a second look after the election.
Here's how Scott Keeter, director of survey research at the Pew Research Center, describes the President's situation in Sunday's Washington Post:
"His ratings are approaching his electoral margin.
This summer slump is a product of his own actions and political forces outside his control. Obama campaigned for strong government action on the economy and health care, and most of his voters agreed with this direction. But Obama's efforts to expand the role of government have alienated many of those who did not vote for him but nonetheless gave him high marks when first he took office.
Pew Research's political values survey this spring showed no surge in public demand for more government. Indeed, anti-government sentiment, which had been building for years, was heightened by the financial bailout and stimulus program. Moreover, it was inevitable that Obama eventually would have to take responsibility for the economy, which -- despite a few 'green shoots' -- remains grim."