Is the Honeymoon Over for Obama?

For the first time since taking office, President Obama’s Presidential Approval Index fell into the negative. The index, tracked daily by Rasmussen Reports, polls likely voters and subtracts those who strongly disapprove of the president’s performance from those who strongly approve.  On Monday, President Obama’s rating fell to -1—33% of the nation’s likely voters said they strongly approve of President Obama’s performance, while 34% said they strongly disapprove.

Rasmussen’s poll is unique, because it essentially measures the polarization of a president among likely voters. As you can see, the trend lines have been steadily moving lower since President Obama took office, meaning his policies have become more and more divisive. Nearly all presidents face a declining approval rate over time, but for a president who promised hope and inspirational unity, the results are significant.

Upon taking office, President Obama had unprecedented political capital, marked through unusually high public approval ratings and a media enchanted with his persona. He also had the good fortune of following a president demonized by both groups. He used this capital to forge one of the most aggressive and politicized early-term agendas in U.S. history. It appears that capital is starting to run out.

President Obama’s good will among voters and the media allowed him to pass one of the largest spending bills in U.S. history (the stimulus). He also forwarded a budget proposal that will nearly triple the national debt. He then overtook private American car companies, used taxpayer money to bailout the financial and mortgage industries, and came out strongly in favor of redistribution policy. Nearly all of these aggressive initiatives passed without significant opposition or controversy. They should have.

The stimulus should have been the most controversial and indicting piece of legislation in decades—it was jammed with over 50% partisan pork at a time when the nation desperately needed rational relief. His budget proposal should have been thrown out as irresponsible, widening the deficit to dangerous levels in favor of party agenda items. The bailout and control of the finance and auto industries should have sparked national outrage, setting a precedent of government control usually relegated to socialist nations.

Now we face a liberal activist judge (Sonya Sotomayor) and a socialized healthcare proposal that have both drawn heavy fire. Justice Sotomayor will likely be affirmed, but it is important to recognize the faults of her judicial philosophy. Socialized healthcare should prove to be a much tougher battle for the administration.

President Obama’s political capital is clearly running thin, and hopefully Americans will take heed of his aggressive, expansive agenda. If and when they do, I doubt he will continue his unprecedented winning streak. The heart of America is not socialism, welfare, or bailout. It is not big government, controlled industry, or redistribution.

It is time the nation wake to realize that prudent governance is a bit like marriage: Once the honeymoon is over, the real work begins.

-Matt Benchener from TruPolitics.net