Obama's Running On Empty

Gary Bauer, Contributing Author: Since his reelection eight months ago, President Obama has been coasting, and it's showing. His approval ratings are tanking. His signature legislative accomplishment, Obamacare, is as unpopular as ever. Seeking to regain his footing ahead of some critical budget battles in the months ahead, Obama decided to give yet another speech on the economy.

But how many times can this White House "pivot to the economy"? By one analysis, they've tried well over a dozen times. In fact, ABC’s Rick Klein said in February that Obama has "pivoted enough to have spun himself around, more than a few times."

Indeed, Obama's worn-out message seems to be wearing thin even among his loyal media cheerleaders. The Washington Post's Dana Milbank summed it up well, writing: "…just six months into his second term, Obama is fresh out of ideas. … And so the president, it seems, is going into reruns."

Leadership requires more than just good speeches.

Phony Scandals?
There were a couple of things in Obama's speech yesterday that warrant some discussion. Yesterday the president declared that Washington has been distracted by an "endless parade of distractions and political posturing and phony scandals." Really?

When the IRS scandal broke, President Obama condemned the targeting of Christian, conservative and Tea Party groups as "outrageous." Obama said, "There is no place for it, and [those responsible] have to be held fully accountable." He went on to say, "I have got no patience with it, I will not tolerate it, and we will make sure that we find out exactly what happened on this."

Is this the phony scandal he referred to yesterday? More than three-quarters of the American people think this "phony scandal" deserves a special prosecutor.

Maybe Obama was referring to Benghazi. If that is a phony scandal, why has his administration gone to such extraordinary lengths to prevent the survivors from testifying? If it was phony, he should want everyone to know the facts.

The American people do not think these are "phony scandals." A June Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll found that 58% of Americans questioned the Obama White House's honesty and integrity as a result of the Benghazi scandal, and 55% felt the same way as a result of the IRS scandal.

Obama's Alternate Reality
After rehashing his class-warfare rhetoric, Obama then offered his audience a false choice between his left-wing agenda and a grossly distorted view of conservative values, saying, "That's not the vision I have for this country. It's not the vision you have for this country. That's not the America we know."

This is coming from a man who is clueless about what America is. He is committed to "fundamentally transforming" America into a European-style, socialist welfare state. He doubled down on Obamacare yesterday, even as members of his own party are turning against it.

America was founded on the notion that our liberty comes from God. But Obama is extremely uncomfortable with the concept of American exceptionalism. According to Obama, America is no more exceptional than England or Greece.

He has denied our Christian heritage. Speaking before foreign audiences, Obama has said, "We do not consider ourselves a Christian nation," and "If you actually took the number of Muslims Americans, we'd be one of the largest Muslim countries in the world."

That is a bizarre and inaccurate statement. There are more Muslims in Azerbaijan, Burkina Faso and Kazakhstan! Yet Obama has the audacity to lecture us about the right vision for America.

More Bad News For Obama
[Yesterday] President Obama delivered yet another major address on the economy. According to one top White House advisor, today's speech was just the beginning of "a series of speeches" Obama will deliver over the next few weeks.

Why now? Some reports indicate that the White House is hoping it can frame the agenda for upcoming budget fights. Congress is getting ready to head out of town for its August recess. And with top congressional leaders gone, Obama can dominate the headlines. But based on the latest polling data, it appears as if Obama is really in damage control mode.

We reported [previously] the latest Marist poll that found Obama's approval rating at a post-reelection low -- a dismal 41%, and another poll that found many Democrats have turned against Obamacare. The news isn't any better today. For example:

• According to the latest Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll, only 29% of Americans think the country is headed in the right direction.
• While Mr. Obama is trying to take credit for an improving economy, Americans aren't buying it. Just 31% believe the economy is likely to improve next year.
• Only 34% said they believed Obamacare is a good idea. Anyone who thinks Obamacare is a good idea should talk to part-time workers in Florida, Nebraska, Ohio and communities across the country where hours and paychecks are getting slashed thanks to the new law.
• Asked whether they wanted Obama or Congress to take the lead in setting policy for the country, 38% said Obama, while 48% said Congress. That's an interesting finding because the liberal media constantly tries to inflate Obama's standing by noting that he's so much more popular than Congress. Yet the American people would still prefer Congress set the agenda rather than Obama!

In other news, Obama's program to aid struggling homeowners is a failure. According to a new report, nearly half of the mortgages modified under Obama's 2009 program are in default again. And taxpayers are still losing billions on Obama's bailout of "Government Motors."

Instead of just talking, maybe Mr. Obama should sit down and read a few economics textbooks!
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Gary Bauer is a conservative family values advocate and serves as president of American Values and chairman of the Campaign for Working Families

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