Obama's Major Misstep
Obama picked the wrong battle as his first test of political capital. Health reform became the battle cry of his new administration. Help the poor uninsured! Unfortunately, the American economy was sliding into a a severe recession Not a time to spend trillions and divide the country but just the time to focus on the economy, to get the economic engine producing jobs and to enlist the undying loyalty of the American working public. Too bad. The health care reform misdirect sapped the nations reserves as uemployment reached the highest levels since the Great Depression and produced even more poor and uninsured than before the passage of health care reform. No matter democrat, progessive, republican or independent, Obama managed to shake all corners of the political spectrum, even to cast doubt on his leadership among his closest loyalists, and earned, on merit, the lowest approval rating for a sitting president seen for decades.