Why Obama’s poll numbers are sinking

Cesar F. Lumba, Las Vegas

Friday, Aug. 12, 2011 | 2:02 a.m.

Maureen Dowd’s Thursday column, “Withholder in Chief,” encapsulates the fatal error of the Obama way. We have a president who is governing as a professor. President Barack Obama does not explain himself or his motives, he assumes — as a professor would — that everybody has done his or her homework and would therefore understand what the president is trying to do.

He disappoints liberals and progressives on one hand and conservatives on the other, thinking that if he angers both sides he must be doing a good job.

Obama appears to think that the liberal and progressive position is balanced by the conservative position. This shows a lack of personal conviction. Either the left is more correct, or the right is more correct. They can’t be equally right or equally wrong.

This is the key to his sinking popularity numbers. Although the Tea Party-led Republicans passionately believe they are right, Obama doesn’t seem to know what he believes. The Republicans know that there is an ideological war going on. Obama doesn’t appear to know this, or he appears unwilling to fight this ideological war to the very end. He starts negotiations with his compromises, which he eventually compromises further to the point that he finds it necessary to surrender in the end, as columnist Paul Krugman has written.

The times call for a new leader. I wish Hillary Clinton would consider resigning her position as secretary of state and providing a primary challenge to Obama. Millions of Democrats would be excited again. I know I would be, too, and I would no longer consider sitting out next year’s elections.