Maybe we don't know what we are talking about.

I couldn't sleep, so I got up at like 3:00 on Monday am. At 5:00 when Morning Joe came on I started to get a little depressed. Not serious, just disturbed. Every pundit that sat down on that set was stating how horrible Obama had been last week. He was a failure on his approach to Bi-partisanship, the stimulus package was up in smoke. Especially Joe. I wish he would decide who he really is. At one moment he attempts to be an honest although right leaning / analyst observer. The next moment he is full fledged High School Cheerleader for the Conservative movement.
That was the mode he was in early on Monday am.

I don't know if it was my lack of sleep or what, but I started to buy into the spin. Then the sun came out and shined light on the reality.

Gallup releases poll on the handling of the Stimulus package

Handling of Stimulus Package

Obama 67% approval
Reps. 31% approval


This is followed up by an amazing townhall conducted in Elkhart IN. This townhall accomplished so much. Personalized the story. It put faces to the troubles we are experiencing. You know what it wasn't "welfare queens" it wasn't illegal immigrants. It wasn't those "damn kids." It was our neighbor. President Obama looked real and dynamic and like he was understanding and reacting to these people.

President Theodore Roosevelt is a President I need to read more about. I have read one biography about his life during his Presidency. A sense of Roosevelt, T. came to me as I was watching Obama interact with the crowd on Monday. President Obama said to hell with all this nonsense of Washington DC and he went out to the people. The townhall was not staged, anyone was allowed in and the questions were random and real. He encouraged them to ask pointed questions. He was real, he was at one time one of them and also their leader. He was going to go back to Washington and continue to fight an honest fight for what he thought was needed.

You know what a CNN poll was released

66% percent approve of the way President Obama is handling the Stimulus Package.

I have said many times that this is a big deal and there can be honest differences on how to approach it. That being said many on the Republican side seem to be sending the message that they are sticking to politics over people. That seems to be resonating with the American people. I still think one of the biggest mistakes was to have absolutely zero votes for this in the House. That is a number that is not easily forgotten and sends a message, I don't think it was the message they expected.

A couple of notes. This whole situation reminds me very much of the campaign against McCain. The republicans are playing for the sound bite the one day story. President Obama seems to be always looking down field. Remember all of McCain's stunts in the campaign, cancelling his campaign, picking Palin. It seems that many of the republicans have not learned they lesson.

Second, from what I heard last night after the townhall, Republicans are starting to realize at this time that they can't win by beating on President Obama. If his numbers are this high before Monday, I think we'll seem them creep even higher. They have now repeating that it was the mean old Nancy Pelosi that made them do this. I am old enough to remember the Newt Gingrich lead shutting down of the government. You know what when people are pissed off and they are focused on what is going on in
Washington, they do not like games. They expect their representatives and Senators to act like adults. Over the last week there has been one adult in the room and a bunch of tantrums all around him.


And oh by the way let's check in with Morning Joe and see what he has to say today.