PAYBACK FROM THE VOTERS – AT 9:37 A.M. ET:  Rasmussen reports this morning that President Obama's poll numbers are awful:

The Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll for Friday shows that 23% of the nation's voters Strongly Approve of the way that Barack Obama is performing his role as President. Forty-three percent (43%) Strongly Disapprove giving Obama a Presidential Approval Index rating of -20. For President Obama, the Approval Index has been lower only once.

And...

Overall, 44% of voters say they at least somewhat approve of the President's performance. That matches the lowest level of total approval yet measured for this President. Fifty-five percent (55%) disapprove.

COMMENT:  What is remarkable is that the White House has no real answers to this abysmal showing.  The president seems determined to push on with policies that are distinctly unpopular with the American people.  Now, at times that can be a sign of courageous leadership, especially in foreign and defense policy.  President Truman, pursuing policies that ultimately contributed mightily to our winning of the Cold War, did so in the face of considerable public scorn.

The difference is that Obama's policies defy what we have learned about what works and what doesn't, and show no signs of actually succeeding.  Unlike Truman, who based his beliefs on experience and history, Obama's bases his on ideology...in a distinctly non-ideological country.

Truman studied history because, as he said, it prevents a leader from having to start from scratch.  Obama doesn't study history, doesn't seem to know much about it, and doesn't seem to care much.  When you're a demigod, who needs books?

The midterms are little more than eight months away.  The question is whether the American people will apply the brakes to Obama, and do so before more real damage is done.

February 26, 2010