On what substantive foundation can Obama center his reelection effort?

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Ponder this surprising metric for the week in which Barack Obama launched his 2012 reelection campaign. 

According to YouTube, Obama’s campaign launch video entitled “It Begins with Us” received 345,146 views.  In contrast, the Obama spoof video from the National Republican Senatorial Committee entitled “President Barack Obama’s First Video Ad of 2012” received almost three times as many views – 1,060,612.  When three times as many people prefer to watch you mocked riding a unicorn with trailing rainbow than your own call to action in anticipation of one of the most pivotal elections in our lifetimes, alarms had better be sounding. 

Here’s another notable number:  zero. 

That’s the number of substantive presidential accomplishments recited in Obama’s kickoff video.  Instead, featured citizens such as “Mike” from New York speak wistfully in the past tense.  “I just saw the energy, and the hope that he had for this country,” said an almost melancholy Mike.  “Katherine” from Colorado wants us to know that, “Politics is how we govern ourselves, that’s what politics is.”  Thanks, Katherine.  Then “Ed” from North Carolina emphasizes, “I don’t agree with Obama on everything.” 

And these are the people who evidently support him.   

Zero is also the number of times in which Obama himself actually addresses viewers in his video. 

Then again, that’s probably a wise choice on the part of Team Obama, considering his reverse-Midas touch recently.  Recall, for instance, his infamous recent ESPN appearance to unveil his NCAA basketball tournament brackets at a time when he should have been appearing before an anxious nation to provide visible leadership on more important matters like budget negotiations and Libya.  And even then, Obama took the easy way out by picking all four number one regional seeds to reach the Final Four.  Then, in true reverse-Midas form, not a single one of those top seeds ended up winning its region.  Obama probably couldn’t have counted on Kansas fans in 2012 anyway, but irate Ohio State, Duke and Pittsburgh fans who probably wish he’d just kept his picks to himself could prove pivotal in those swing states. 

As another example, when Obama finally got around to addressing the nation on Libya, the anti-Gadhafi rebels to whom he pledged support immediately suffered defeat after defeat under counterattack by pro-Gadhafi forces.  Given that track record, the smartest thing Obama could do is issue a blanket endorsement of the entire likely 2012 Republican field. 

All of this reflects a quickening reality:  Obama is in trouble. 

The last President who faced economic conditions as difficult as Obama was Ronald Reagan in his first term.  In fact, contrary to current political rhetoric, the recession Reagan faced was significantly worse.  Unemployment was higher, and interest rates and inflation were exponentially higher.  Reagan also faced a wrenching transition from a manufacturing economy to an information economy, as well as an enormous Soviet menace that has no contemporary equivalent for Obama. 

Despite facing even more treacherous conditions, Reagan could confidently launch his reelection campaign on a foundation of plummeting unemployment, a stronger dollar, lower interest rates and inflation, a stronger military, economic growth and growing American confidence and optimism.  On that basis, “Morning in America” was the justifiable signature motto of Reagan’s reelection campaign. 

In contrast, on what substantive foundation can Obama center his reelection effort? 

He promised to cut the federal budget deficit in half by the end of his first term.  Instead, he has quadrupled it.  He promised his anti-anti-terror fringe on January 22, 2009 that, “Guantanamo will be closed no later than one year from now,” but recently announced that on second thought, Guantanamo is the perfect location for military tribunals.  Inflation is on the rise.  Gasoline prices are approximately twice what they were when he entered office.  Economic growth is decelerating despite open monetary spigots and record deficit spending.  ObamaCare, his signature “achievement,” remains unpopular.  America has offended its most reliable allies while enabling its worst antagonists, and has lost international respect regardless of how superficially “liked” Obama may be in faculty lounges and Portuguese cafes. 

In other words, Obama can’t run his own “Morning in America” equivalent because his policies give cause for mourning, not morning.  It’s an inauspicious beginning for a candidate the mainstream media wants us to believe will cruise to reelection.