EYES ON OBAMA – AT 7:54 A.M. ET:  We are supposedly entering the summer doldrums, when thoughts of politics give way to barbecues and the price of baseball players.  But, alas, just when we thought it was safe to turn off the computer, reality intervenes.

In fact, I've never seen such intense political activity in a midterm year, nor as much anticipation for a midterm election.  Clearly, many voters believe this will be the most important midterm election in their lifetime, and I think they are right.

At stake are not merely the temporary policies of a president, but the whole direction of the country.  It's now generally accepted, by those with a dose of honesty, that Barack Obama is the most radical president we've ever had.  His harsher critics, me among them, believe that he lied his way into office by posing as a moderate, but that every instinct within him tugs to the left, and beyond.  He doesn't much like his country or its people, and has little use for its founding documents.  He wants to change us in ways we never chose. 

It's also becoming clear, to all but Obama's most fanatical defenders, that the president of the United States is monumentally incompetent.  He's never run anything but a small office, he cannot seem to understand that policies must not simply be thought about, but must be executed, and that all actions have consequences.  He also seems bored with the job, seemingly believing that the heavy lifting should be done by someone else.  His poll numbers reflect gradual but insistent public disillusionment.

But he is not finished.  An equally incompetent press, heavily staffed with Obama disciples, still protects him, and his standing within his own party is bolstered by a desperate fear of alienating the African-American vote, without which Democrats cannot win a national election.  In addition, Obama is blessed with a Republican Party that historically has nominated, for the presidency, the next guy in line.  Reagan was an anomaly, his nomination deeply upsetting to a large chunk of the staid party establishment. 

Opinion trends are running in our favor, but trends can quickly reverse.  The presidency is an office with enormous political reserve.  Presidents can pull things out of hats, and can command instant media attention.

The battle is beginning, not ending.  We have five months to a decisive midterm election which will be critical to determining whether Obama's vision, or ours, rules the future.

June 2,  2010