“Don't kid yourself. President Obama's decision to withdraw 33, 000 troops from Afghanistan before he stands for reelection is not driven by the United States' 'position of strength' in the war zone as much as it is by grim economic and political realities at home.”
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If history is a guide, a victory for Obama means he faces the prospect of a second term dogged by scandal or inertia.
Say what you want to say about the rest of his presidency, including his tone-deaf response to Katrina and a war waged in Iraq on false pretenses, Bush connected with Americans in the aftermath of 9/11 because he looked as frail and unforgiving as we felt.
With gridlock the norm, Congress's approval rating is below 10 percent and the public has lost faith in its national leadership.
Obama won the presidency on the strength of his message and the skills of the messenger. Now the talk of hope and change feels out of tune when so many Americans are out of work, over-mortgaged, and worried that life will be even tougher for their children.
