The Obama Touch – Something You’ll Want To Stay Away From

Just over a year ago the world was buzzing with Obama Mania. As a presidential candidate, Barack Obama had used persuasive speeches to win the votes of an American population that, for the most part, bought his sales pitch hook, line and sinker. Now, just a year after his inauguration President Obama has dropped from a cult like rock star status to the voice that turns people the other way. In fact, Obama’s trust level has fallen so far that if you’re looking promote, sell or campaign anything this year he should be dead last on your list of pitchmen.

In September President Obama flew to Copenhagen, Denmark in an effort to bring the 2016 Olympic Games to his hometown Chicago. Days later the city of Chicago was one of the first cities removed from consideration as a host for the 2016 games. Strike one!

Last fall also saw the president personally campaign for democratic candidates in the New Jersey and Virginia governor races. Speaking on behalf of Creigh Deeds (Virginia) and Jon Corzine (New Jersey) President Obama attempted to use his political “swag” to keep the Democratic Party’s grip firm in the north east. The problem is that both Deeds and Corzine lost to Republicans. Strikes two and three!

Then in December President Obama outlined his climate goals at the global warming summit in Copenhagen. Possibly recognizing the irony of world leaders arriving in 1,200 limos and 140 private airplanes caused a leaders from the African nations to walkout. Ultimately the summit ended in failure with progress targets lowered and goals dropped as a collective agreement couldn’t be reached. Strike four!

The latest chapter in this saga came just a few weeks ago when President Obama flew to Massachusetts in an effort to help Martha Coakley win the senate seat that was last occupied by Ted Kennedy. Bashing Coakley’s opponent for “driving his truck” and saying that, if elected, he may take the people someplace they don’t want to go. He made the point clear that electing a guy like Scott Brown would be a step backwards and not forward. The result? Scott Brown won by a near landslide giving republicans the much needed 41^st vote against Obama’s health care reform. Strike five!

Yeah, I know. You’re only supposed to have three strikes but the way our president understands things he’d tell you that he doesn’t even have enough strikes for his first out. The spin coming out of the White House is that a record national deficit is actually progress, four million lost jobs is actually saving jobs and that the people of Massachusetts actually voted in favor of the Obama Administration when they elected Scott Brown even though he was, “a step backwards.” I don’t know, you figure it out.

Here’s what I do know. King Midas had the magic touch of turning the things he touches into gold. President Obama seems to have the touch of making golden opportunities go away. I’m really curious to see how his State of the Union Address is received because it seems that, at least for now, that the only thing stopping the Obama agenda is Obama himself.