What Really Matters?

This past Sunday in The Pundit Delusion, New York Times columnist Paul Krugman speculated on the true reason the approval ratings have dropped so low for the Obama administration. The "Obama Paradox," as described by Krugman, has resulted not because he is "too liberal" or "too Mr. Spock," but because he just simply hasn't overcome the big economic problems. I fully agree with this because the general public isn't really going to appreciate the big victories for congress and the president like health and financial reform. Instead we care more about what the President is doing for us, specifically how our jobs and businesses are doing. Krugman presents a very valid point saying that part of the problem is giving too much attention to the pundits in the decision making.

During the peak of our economic crisis instead of pursuing a larger stimulus package and his policies’ actual impact on the economy, Obama went with looking good in the headlines. The economic downfall has pretty much been the story of the Obama presidency thus far, and given that's the one thing people pay attention to there's no question to why he's in trouble. If there is still a question as to what Americans care about, Krugman backs that claim up by citing a Presidential election report by Larry Bartels, finding that economic conditions are the single most important thing influencing a president's chances in re-election. Yes, not television ads, not debates, not t.v news but the state of our economy. In other words if the economy is doing good right before an election, the president has a good shot, but if it’s falling then he’s toast. Families today don't have the time to pay attention and dissect specific policies or legislature passed, but care most about getting the bills paid. To make matters worse there are the widespread increases in unemployment rates that are just adding to the frustration.

With the midterm elections coming up, it's looking like the GOP is poised to get some big victories in November. Whether or not the primary reason for the problems are indeed the "pundit delusions,” there's not much time left to turn things around, and voter's ignorance to policy successes aren't going to change anytime soon. Seeing their jobs in danger, and having to severely limit spending, the American people are looking to punish those in office and aren't going to be very patient in doing so. Krugman sums it up perfectly saying that with midterms turning out sour, the usual suspects will come up such as … 'he was just too liberal,' or 'where'd the passion go?,' but instead the true reason was that Obama simply wasn't doing enough to create jobs.