As President Obama vacations amid sinking approval ratings, Rasmussen is showing his polls hitting an all-time low. Only 28 percent of the nation’s voters strongly approve of his performance in the White House, while 40 percent strongly disapprove. The new numbers come after a brutal week where his administration conceded to revise portions of the proposed health care plan due to massive unpopularity with the government’s proposed role.
Obama first attempted to blame Republicans for the popular uprising against his plan. In an August 20 interview with Philadelphia radio host Michael Smerconish, the president asserted, “I think early on, a decision was made by the Republican leadership that said, ‘Look, let’s not give him a victory, maybe we can have a replay of 1993, ‘94, when Clinton came in, he failed on health care and then we won in the mid-term elections and we got the majority. And I think there are some folks who are taking a page out of that playbook.”
Obviously, conservatives and Republicans can benefit by opposing aspects of the President’s agenda. But Obama’s statement ignores two glaring realities about the health care debate. First, anyone who identifies as a Republican is simply not going to support a government takeover of an industry as big as health care. It’s laughable he would attempt to distill GOP opposition into an opportunistic “vast right wing conspiracy” when, as Obama notes, Republicans have been consistent on this issue. Second, attributing the looming failure of health care reform specifically to the GOP is ridiculous. Public outcry over the legislation is its biggest obstacle and the White House comes off as out of touch and offensive when they accuse the masses of being Republican tools.
Seeing this tactic fail, the Obama administration has decided to attack the media. This new, inexcusably stupid, line of attack is perplexing and indicates Obama might need to shake up his advisers.
It is hypocritical of the president to accuse the media of boosting Republican health care opposition when only two months prior the President turned to the media to push his plan. Back in June 2009, ABC controversially aired an hour-long special allowing Obama to promote his plan without any opposition. In general, Obama has received far more positive coverage than any recent President.
Don’t bite the hand that feeds you, Mr. President. You are discovering that glowing rhetoric cannot sell bad legislation. Fix the legislation, don’t turn on the media organizations that propelled you to your current position. It is unbecoming of a man with your political skills. Besides, if you want to stick around, you’re going to need their help in 2010 and 2012.
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