Re: “5 reasons why the president will win another term in November” (TNT, 4-29).
Aaron David Miller’s commentary was amazingly dishonest.
• He writes: “Americans are re-electing imperfect and flawed presidents.”
Miller’s believes that those who won re-election – Dwight Eisenhower, Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush – were not “very top tier” presidents but goes on to rate “Clinton clearly above average. That’s about where Obama falls.” So a president who cannot run on his record in office is rated as “above average.” Go figure.
•He writes, “Obama has history on his side.”
No, he does not. Miller cleverly starts with “Since 1980,” purposely omitting the only race comparable to Barack Obama vs. Mitt Romney – Jimmy Carter vs. Reagan. In April 1980, Carter was up by 8 percent over Reagan and lost to Reagan in a landslide in November by 50.7 percent to 41 percent.
• He writes, “The guy’s a mensch.”
What chutzpah! A president who seeks to divide a nation by race, income or whatever polls well to further his re-election is not a mensch.
• He writes, “The Republicans are weak and divided.”
There’s not a mention of the Obama-Clinton division in 2008. Here’s what matters: In 2008, Democratic voter enthusiasm had a 79 percent to 44 percent advantage over Republicans. A recent Gallup poll gives Republicans a 53 percent to 46 percent voter enthusiasm advantage.
• He writes, “The economy is bad, but Obama wins on points.”
President Obama has added $5 trillion in debt, the economy is growing at an anemic 1.7 percent and unemployment has been over 8 percent for all but one month under Obama. That’s winning on points?
