A year ago, President Obama was settling into his new job, and at a luncheon before his first address to Congress, he was confident - going so far as to say he felt he was good at the job.
A year later, the president faced the same group of journalists. Earlier today, just hours before his State of the Union address, he appeared realistic about how difficult the issues he faces really are, and humbled by the sour environment for incumbents.
The White House doesn’t like the term "new beginning" or "reset." But I think the president recognizes that the country has lost faith in government right now, and there are real questions in the confidence the country has in his leadership and his ability to solve problems.
Right now, the Obama presidency comes down to something very simple – 10 percent unemployment. That’s going to hurt any incumbent president. I think he understands if things don’t get better, he’s going to be in political trouble, and so is his party.
The president wants to make clear tonight that he understands people are going through a very difficult time. And he complains, as other presidents have, about how difficult it is to communicate that sense of empathy when you’re here in Washington and in the White House.
The biggest black eye for Obama thus far has been health care. He spent a lot of political capital that now has to be built back up. It’s gotten this close but is still very far away.
The priority tonight and in the coming weeks and months is jobs. The White House wants to get back to health care, but the question is: Where are the votes? I don’t think anyone has an answer to that, which is striking given how much time and energy has been spent on it.
