WHERE OBAMA STANDS - AT 10:19 A.M. ET:  Rasmussen reports that Obama can't seem to improve his position in the polls, in part because his priorities seem out of touch with the people:

Thirty-eight percent (38%) of voters say cutting the federal budget deficit in half in the next four years should be the Obama administration's top priority, while 23% say health care reform is most important.

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey shows that 17% say the emphasis should be on ensuring that every child has access to a complete and competitive education, while 16% cite the development of new sources of energy.

Clearly, Americans are deeply concerned about driving the country into bankruptcy.  Once again, they show greater wisdom than their leaders.  We can only have the goodies we want if we can afford them, or if our children can afford them.  Bankrupting the country in the name of "progress" will inevitably backfire.  It's no progress at all.

At the same time, the Republican Party doesn't exacly get bouquets:

Just 15% of Republicans who plan to vote in 2012 state primaries say the party’s representatives in Congress have done a good job of representing Republican values.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 73% think Republicans in Congress have lost touch with GOP voters from throughout the nation. Twelve percent (12%) are undecided.
These numbers are basically unchanged from a survey in late April.

Republican women are nearly twice as likely as men to say their representatives in Congress have done a good job of representing GOP values. Younger voters tend to be less critical than their elders.
Thirty-one percent (31%) of likely GOP primary voters rate economic issues as the priority in determining how they will vote, followed by 25% who see national security issues that way. Fiscal issues are most important for 15%, while 12% cite domestic issues and seven percent (7%) cultural issues.

COMMENT:  Both parties are out of favor, which means Republicans cannot be content just to rest on President Obama's considerable failures. 

Among a list of other things, Republicans lack a unifying personality, a Reagan, to pull things together.  But Reagan was a unique individual with remarkable communications skills, and he'd been a two-term governor of our largest state.

Ah, for 1980.

October 24,  2009