THE UNHAPPY AMERICANS – AT 10:04 A.M. ET: Americans are exceedingly unhappy with the direction of their country. That means no third term for Obama. Well, of course he isn't running, but Hillary Clinton's campaign is clearly vulnerable to the perception that the administration she served has messed things up pretty badly. From the great Andrew Malcolm at IBD:
Quite frankly, it's not looking good for Barack Obama's prospects to win a third presidential term.
Of course, another 1,461 days in the White House is not constitutionally possible for him.
But if it was, a new Gallup Poll on Americans' mood finds, the incumbent would have a difficult time convincing voters.
Oh, wait! That means the job of selling four more years of liberal Democrat rule will fall to Hillary Clinton, barring an unlikely surge by former Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley.
Initially, the expectation was Obama's former secretary of State would have to distance herself from Obama. But after a private White House lunch this week, she appears to be doubling-down on her commitment to administration policies. In fact, she's vowed to take even more executive actions than Obama.
The new Gallup survey, out Wednesday, found that the country's satisfaction with the way things are going these days sank a full seven points in just one month, down to 20%. That's a substantial and rare drop to the lowest level of national satisfaction in 13 months.
Some of that fall was likely tied to the shocking domestic terror attack in San Bernardino that killed 14, just as the national telephone survey of 824 adults began.
COMMENT: I thought Hillary's statements this week, essentially endorsing the sinking Obama administration, were odd. And yet, she is under threat. Ultimately, Obama will decided what to do with the FBI investigation into Hillary's e-mails. And, ultimately, Obama will decide whether to help or hurt Hillary. He clearly prefers that Joe Biden succeed him.
So Obama has some control over Hillary, and he probably exercised it this week. How long will it take the press to zero in on this political relationship? Don't hold your breath.
December 10, 2015 |