by Zach F

Created on: February 07, 2010   Last Updated: February 08, 2010

A year into his Presidency, Barack Obama has definitely “lost his magic.”  This is clear from recent political events, as well as the general tone of the media and recent public opinion polls.

  When he was elected, the Democrats also won several seats in both houses of Congress, as well as several local offices.  Many political analysts believe that this was due to the Obama-McCain race.  That is, the “main event,” drew out crowds of Democrats who had did not always vote, or new voters; as well as switched independents and Republicans over to the Democratic side.

  Well, last month, when Coakley was defeated by Scott Brown in a traditionally blue state, the indicators switched.  Even with Obama helping her campaign, a Democrat lost a Senate seat in Massachusetts that was held by Democrats for years.  This is not the Obama domination of public attention and appeal that existed one year ago.

  Media coverage has even begun to take a more negative slant toward Obama, though largely by just ignoring him, which it was impossible to do during his campaign and early days in office.  Much attention was focused on his plans to bring us “Hope” and “Change.”  Now that neither has come (Obama has been in office longer than 100 days, and to date, Guantanamo is still open, we are still in Iraq, and we have not had meaningful healthcare changes), the media is starting to ask hard questions.

  Public opinion polls which show Obama at his lowest approval ratings yet are also a key indicator.  More importantly, public opinion polls regarding “Obamacare” show his charismatic magic has certainly worn thin, if not disappeared completely.  A public which voted Obama and the Democrats in largely based on his views on health care has now seen through the “Hope and Change” charisma and seen the negatives in Obama’s plan.  The majority, or at least plurality, of Americans, do not want the currently proposed version of health care legislation, even with Obama’s pushing for it.

  Overall, regardless of differing opinions on his actions and performance in office, most Americans can agree that Barack Obama had some “magical” charismatic charm to him during the elections.  That charm, at least for many Americans, is long gone.

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