There’s just no longer any way to spin this. There is no reason why the economy should not be picking up after three and a half years of the Obama presidency. Unless the problem is the Obama presidency.
You can do all the micro-targeting, all the get–out-the-vote efforts, and all the demonization of your opponent that you want. But unless it turns out that Romney spent his weekends during the 1980s robbing banks and loan sharking, I just don’t see how Obama gets reelected.
Perhaps the only thing that can save Obama would be a dramatic external event, like war with Iran or a terrorist attack, which causes the country to rally around the president. It could happen.
The interesting thing about the slowing economy is the cause: Businesses and consumers don’t want to spend. They are uncertain. And that’s Obama’s fault.
