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He Has Lost His Luster, But So Has Everyone Else
by James Glaser July 20, 2011 
Here I am in Minnesota visiting my family and meeting my new grandson, James. I grew up here, and lived and worked in the state most of my life. I thought I was leaving the South to a place with chilly nights and cool days, but it is hotter and more humid than Florida ever was. Maybe the heat followed me up here. I have always thought of Minnesota as a Democratic state, however I guess now, for the first time in 40 years, the Republicans control both State Houses of Congress. So, I have been visiting with friends and relatives for several days now, and have come to the conclusion that President Obama has not lived up to people's expectations. No, I don't see a mass movement to the Republican Party in the next election, but I see many people who probably will not work at all for Obama and many who will give a protest third party vote this time. That is a big turn around. Without a doubt, jobs are Minnesotans' biggest worry. The Ford truck plant in Saint Paul closed down this year, and that took away thousands of good paying jobs. Minnesota has a lower unemployment number than the national average, but it is still high by historical averages, and that makes everyone worry. About all people hear about is how Washington is transfixed on raising the debt ceiling so they can spend more, but the last time they threw money at jobs with Obama's job stimulus bill not much happened. Obama claims jobs were saved, but that is hard to prove, and people up here and every place else want to see results. What people see right now is that nobody in Washington from either party is talking about creating jobs. So, here in Minnesota, like the rest of the country, people don't believe Washington is doing anything for them or their loved ones, and it makes them mad. Those who looked at Barack Obama as the man who could turn things around are sorely disappointed. The ones who voted Republican see nothing from their side either. President Obama has lost his luster, but that doesn't mean anyone else picked it up. I don't know how everyone in Minnesota feels about where our country is going, but I have talked to a cross-section of people since I got up here, and nobody on either side of the political spectrum feels at all good about what is going on. Here is the thing—because President Obama is in charge, I believe he will suffer the most politically, but nobody will be helped. We as a country are in a real fix, aren't we? |
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