“Members of the media have focused on the President’s approval ratings as if they existed in a black box. Following the intransigence of the Republicans during the debt debate, the approval rating of the GOP brand dropped to a historic low. The approval rating of Congress dropped to a near historic low. Americans are still dealing with the impact of the financial crisis and recession and the long-term economic trends that have seen wages stagnate for many, and that is manifested in their anger towards Washington. There’s no doubt that Americans are calling on leaders in Washington to take immediate action to address their economic challenges — exactly what the President is advocating for,” Mr. Axelrod wrote.
Perhaps most striking is the memo’s pushback on the conventional wisdom that the president is losing his base. Mr. Axelrod quotes the latest Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll that found Democrats approving of the president’s performance 81% to 14%, a margin that is stronger than President Bill Clinton’s support among Democrats at this point in his term and “stronger than any Democratic President dating back to Harry Truman through this point in their presidency.”…
The memo can be seen as a strike against the brewing conventional wisdom that Mr. Obama needs to adjust fast or suffer certain defeat next year.
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