In 2009, President Obama did the following; he pushed for a $800 billion bailout despite the fact that President Bush already took out $700 billion to bailout Wall Street. Then he spent the last remaining months of that year and a good part of 2010, pushing through Cap-and-Trade and "Obamacare", none of which created new ideas, new initiatives. In many ways, Obama ignored the real issues. He probably thought that his bailout was going to rescue the free-falling economy, but he was wrong. That bailout money didn't create jobs; it went into companies who then used that money to pay their debts, back-payments, and claims. Some of the money ended up in bonuses for CEOs of big corporations such as GM, GE, AIG, etc.
The opportunities gone by
President Obama is undoubtedly an eloquent speaker, whose creative sentences and ability to describe things in almost perfect ways, first caught the eyes of Americans during his address at the DNC in 2004. But in 2008, Presidential candidate, Hillary Clinton, mocked him by saying that Obama never did anything to qualify himself for the job of the president other than mere "talking" - more and just speeches. Had President Obama put his words into action and addressed the economy in an effective way, he would have emerged in 2010 as a strong leader, and riding high comes November, 2012. He could have saved the jobs of his fellow Democrat congressmen and women who lost their jobs as a result of his controversial bill, Obamacare. Had Obama instituted programs that protected the properties of millions of Americans that were lost during the recession of 2008-2009, he would have gained tremendous support from the left and right this year. However, he let these opportunities slipped by, he betrayed the confidence of the people.
Voters don't understand politics and the intricacies of the legislative processes, but they live and feel it when things aren't working right. Toward the end of 2009 and most of 2010, Americans rose up against the proposed bill - the Obamacare. Liberals, independents, and conservatives alike protested against their congressmen and women across America and warned them against what they saw as a massive government expansion. It was a chance for President Obama to drop what he was doing and "listen" to the voters voice, yet, again, he chose not to. He chose to ignore them, living hopeless Democrats to bear the anger and frustration of angry voters. While he was in the White House enjoying the president's luxurious home, his fellow Democrats and moderate Republicans became unemployed in just time years into his leadership.
Behind the curtain, President Obama was hard at work to convince conservative Democrats to vote for his healthcare overhaul, even it would cost their decades long political careers. In 2010, Townhall meetings across the country were filled with angry voters fuming by the fact that the president and his party failed to do what they promised to do after election. Poll after poll showed Democrat leaders in congress would lose in landslide midterm elections; concerned Democrats quickly distanced themselves from Obama but not detached from their party's platform. President Obama didn't even care; he held more backdoor meetings, secret deals were reached and rebellious Democrats succumbed to Obama's arm-twisting agenda. Even when the most Liberal state of Massachusetts decided to elected a Republican Senate, weakening the Democrats filibuster proof senate, and instead of declaring to the nation a similar message to Clinton's "the era of big government is over" speech, Obama carried on. In the end, these rebellious Democrats walked away with millions of dollars in bribes in exchanged for their vote, and ultimately paid the price for it.
In 2010, instead of telling themselves "Americans don't really want this", President Obama and his fellow Democrats waited it out. The vote for Obamacare was moved to the "lame-duck" session - a time when leaders don't care about anything other than going home for the holidays. The "lame-duck" session was a crucial move for the Democrats, but one that demonstrated the ridiculousness of the politics President Obama brought to the White House - the notion that American voters just don't know what happened. After November midterm election of 2010, Democrats lost the House, and barely survived the senate. President Obama just didn't care. Democrats in Congress (Senate and House) who were voted out, returned to Washington, D.C. and voted, without reservation, for President Obama's monstrous healthcare overhaul during the lame-duck session. Had President Obama listened, he would be touting a speedy recovery and would have effectively neutralized any GOP's onslaught, but he sees himself as not the problem. Today, no one is buying his excuses anymore because his recovery came too late, and he ignored the voices of majority of Americans. He constantly lambasting conservatives for calling him out on issues he previously ignored.
Only Hope
Demonizing someone's opponent is the last hope of a failing president. Since that President Obama cannot point to a single program that helped Americans in the last four years, his only hope is to turn his opponent, Mitt Romney, into a monster. Someone that people don't know, unable to connect to, and is filthy rich by taking too much and paying little or no taxes at all. Those who listened to him, like I did, back in 2008 aren't going to be fooled one more time.
Since that President Obama failed to stop the rapidly bleeding economy, it is natural that the support will swing right. It is evident from polls that the attacks on Gov. Romney failed flat because Americans aren't voters just don't buy them.
This week's polls showed a very tight and close race, but it is important to note that an incumbent running on a favorability below 50% is a sign that Americans detested his policies. It is predicted that the the contender (Romney) will more likely to win if other factors such as his experience and compassion are factored in to his education and CEO backgrounds.
Had Obama listened to the American people, his polls would have been high in the 60s and he would have been hard to challenge, but this time he is a president without a political, economic spine to support him.
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