If I were President Obamas political team the only hope I would harbor right now for Obamas re-election would center on the President being able to hold the line with his base which is to say the national media. Based on the questions asked in yesterdays press conference it may be time for administration officials to start polishing their CVs for employment in the private sector.
Obama fielded by my count three hostile questions on Solyndra and one on the Fast and the Furious. Through it all Obama continually attempted to return the conversation to his jobs bill which has literally zero hope of passing either house and in fact is so doomed that it probably wont even be brought to the floor barring a major change in the political climate.
Even this tactic failed to faze the press who seemed to actually taunt the President over his inability to get anyone to care about his worthless jobs bill:
Q. And secondly on your jobs bill the American people are sick of games and you mentioned games in your comments. They want results. Wouldnt it be more productive to work with Republicans on a plan that you know could pass Congress as opposed to going around the country talking about your bill and singling out calling out Republicans by name? Q. My question has to do with your powers of persuasion. During the debt ceiling debate you asked for the American public to call members of Congress and switchboards got jammed. You have done a similar thing while going around the country doing this.
Talking to members of Congress theres not the same reaction; youre not seeing hearing about phones being jammed. Talking to one member of Congress he told me theres a disillusionment hes concerned about with the public that maybe they just dont believe anything can get done anyway.
Are you worried about your own powers of persuasion and 
maybe that the American public is not listening to you anymore?
Q Thank you Mr. President. Anybody on Capitol Hill will say that theres no chance that the American Jobs Act in its current state passes either House. And youve been out on the campaign trail banging away at them saying pass this bill. And it begins sir to look like youre campaigning and like youre following the Harry Truman model against the do-nothing Congress instead of negotiating.
In challening Republicans to get behind his jobs bill Thursday... The rhetoric in the presidents quick-moving press conference dodged some facts and left some evidence in the dust."In less than three short years Obama has gone from the President most beloved of the American media since JFK into an object of scorn for the very same media. If hes lost his last natural constituency this thoroughly his re-election chances look very dim indeed.
