THE NUMBERS, THEY ARE NOT GOOD - AT 4:50 P.M. ET:  Someone finally asked the key political question.  The answer can bring no joy to the White House.  From Fox News:

In what may be the ultimate job rating, 43 percent of voters say that they would vote to re-elect President Obama if the 2012 election were held today, down from 52 percent six months ago, from April 22-23, 2009.

Obama's job approval rating comes in at 49 percent this week. That's down just one percentage point from late September, but it marks a new low approval for the president -- and the first time the Fox News poll has measured his approval below 50 percent.

Moreover, the number of Americans saying they would vote to re-elect President Obama has dropped. If the election were held today the poll finds more voters say they would back someone else in the 2012 election than would back the president.

COMMENT:  No matter how this is spun, it isn't good news for the president.  True, presidents fall in popularity during their first year, but we were told by the huge used-car lot known as Obama headquarters that this was a very special president, The One, the man from whom all blessings flowed.

So far, not many blessings.  Many headaches.  Get the Alka-Seltzer.

October 15, 2009