Reality Check

Virginia's Republican Governor-elect, Robert McDonnell

Maine, New Jersey, Virginia...Last night was a pretty good night for conservatism and the GOP. Too bad about New York though. What does it all mean? From the New York Post (I emphasized a couple of the more noteworthy points):

The Obama invincibility that was so much in evidence then seems to have lost its power. People can argue the reasons why these elections, all in places Obama carried handily, were so close. But if he were the political marvel he was thought to be, these races wouldn’t have been contests, but walkovers. So one consequence of this Election Day is the end of his special political magic.

That’s no surprise — as that magic was a largely substanceless froth whipped up by campaign consultants and compliant big-media cheerleaders.

The truth is, Obama wasn’t ready to be president when he ran in 2008. When he started, he probably thought he had no real chance — he himself admitted upon entering the Senate that he wasn’t qualified to be president — and that his first run would simply be a PR effort that would lift him to the top ranks of Senate Democrats.

When, to everyone’s surprise, resentment of the Clinton machine crystallized around him, he wound up beating Hillary for the nomination, and found himself riding an out-of-control express train. He rode it to victory, with some help from erratic McCain actions.

But he was right the first time about not being ready for the Oval Office. As president, he seems confused and a bit distant on the issues, leaving the details to congressional Democrats and an ever-growing number of "czars" while he golfs and launches attacks at Rush Limbaugh and Fox News.

Very true. So much (if not all) of Obama and his movement of last year was smoke and mirrors, resulting from America's craving for celebrity and glitz. Obama '08 was a one-time deal that will not/cannot repeat itself. That kind of frenzy feeding over a personality cannot be sustained ad infinitum, especially in light of deepening economic travails. Even before yesterday's election, Obama's so-called magic was already waning. People are starting to yawn with boredom and impatience, and with the economy tanking, who isn't getting a little tired of the perpetual campaign and boorish immaturity that are now permanent fixtures in this Administration?