IS IT WORSE FOR OBAMA? – AT 9:02 A.M. ET:  Is it possible that President Obama is in even worse political shape than his numbers indicate?  Yes, according to a Democratic pollster.  From the Washington Times:

A Democratic polling firm said President Obama's already weak job-approval numbers are "worse than they appear" and he likely would lose the election if it were held today.

For the first time in a year, Mr. Obama does not lead former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney in Public Policy Polling's monthly national poll on the 2012 presidential race. They are tied at 45 percent, and Mr. Obama is losing among independent voters by a margin of 49 percent to 44 percent.

Worse for Mr. Obama, PPP said, the "vast majority" of undecideds disapprove of the president's performance. The survey of registered voters was conducted July 15-17.

"There's a very good chance Barack Obama would lose if he had to stand for re-election today," said Dean Debnam, president of PPP. "This is his worst poll standing in a long time, and he really needs the economy to start turning around."

In an interview this week with a Kansas City, Mo., TV station, Mr. Obama said the election will be more about his record than the platform of the eventual Republican nominee.

"Americans understand that we didn't get into this problem overnight," Mr. Obama told KMBC-TV, one of three interviews he gave to regional TV outlets at the White House on Wednesday. "If next November they feel like I've ... been working as hard as I can and have been getting some things done to move us in the right direction, then I'll win. If they don't, then I'll lose."

COMMENT:  But Republicans should start wondering why a president who's been such an obvious failure is still in such close contention.  One reason, as we've noted here, is that his core support is fanatical, almost religious.  Obama is, after all, a cultural icon, not just for African-Americans, but for a certain kind of liberal for whom symbolism is more important than results.  The second reason is that the GOP does not yet have an obvious winner in its presidential contender ranks.  A coming televised debate, just before the Iowa straw poll, may start to thin things out and focus attention on a few potential victors. 

July 22, 2011