President Obama needs to break a promise if he wants to be reelected.

President Obama is the real deal. That's why he's unpopular.
President Obama is the real deal. That’s why he’s unpopular.

I am proud to say that I was an Obama admirer before it was fashionable. When Hillary had a lock on the Democratic nomination, I still thought Obama was the guy, and here’s why. Because he’s not a socialist or even (by US standards) a liberal. President Obama is a middle of the road can’t we work this out centrist. That’s why I liked him, and that’s what is killing him.

A lot of people are comparing him at the moment to President Carter, another thoughtful centrist faced with massive challenges and a populist disingenuous right wing. When you look at President Carter’s time in office, you realise that the great majority of the decisions he made in office were right, indeed, on energy security, way ahead of their time. President Carter tried to build a coalition of moderate social liberals and moderate balance the books conservatives. He got hammered from both left and right, and President Obama is caught in the same place, struggling to placate his high spending left whilst dealing with the F**K The Poor right. 

The problem for President Carter and President Obama is that the US is not in the humour for the calm measured debate the president promised when he ran in 2008. The country is angry, and looking for a leader to stake out his claim.

It’s time for the President to reach back to his liberal base, and say that yes, cuts are going to be have to be made, but yes, the mega wealthy are going to have to cough up their fair share. The rich don’t always spend extra money they get in tax cuts. The working man always does, because he’s no choice.

Mr. President, it’s time to be the working man candidate.