One of Obama's big problems is, of course, his record. But just as damaging is his complete inability to articulate any plan for governing should he win a second term. There's no vision -- no plan to try to get 23 million unemployed people back to work, no plan to lower America's skyrocketing deficits, no plan for economic growth, no plan to keep the USA from going over the fiscal cliff. Would he do anything differently if given the chance? Has he learned anything from his mistakes?
Instead of a plan for governing, we learn that welfare has soared 32% in just four years; jobless claims rose by 46,000 last week (the highest in four months), and violent crime has risen by 18% (the biggest spike in 20 years). Hearing all of this, what is there to inspire confidence and enthusiasm about the prospect of a second Obama term? As if Americans didn't need more reminding about the economic pinch, gas prices are sky high -- the last thing struggling Americans need.
It's true, for the most part, that politicians can't exert much control over gas prices; even so, gas prices have doubled during Obama's presidency, and administration regulations like shutting down drilling in nearly half of the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska don't help.
All this, taken together, becomes the perfect metaphor for Obama's presidency: He's out of gas. He's got no new ideas, no proposed solutions. As he revealed in the first debate, he's tired. He doesn't seem to have much zest for the job itself; rather, his aggression on the stump and in debates seems to spring from a personal contempt for Governor Romney and a desire not to lose. Rather than discussing big issues, he and his partisans seem most animated when pursuing a host of distractions from the big issues: This week it's binders -- but it's been dogs, tax returns, Bain Capital and, most recently, Big Bird. It hardly inspires confidence.
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HIs record over the last four years has been dismal. Problem is, he's offered Americans nothing to suggest that would change if he wins again. Personally, intellectually and legislatively, the President seems to be running on fumes. Quite simply, his presidency is out of gas.
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