Thursday, September 30th, 2010 10:49:33

“Shake Off — Buck Up — Step Up,” Says Obama

The latest midterm presidential campaign tactic is for President Barack Obama to meet ordinary Americans in their backyards and dens to discuss the happenings of our country.

Yesterday’s stops included Albuquerque, N.M. Today’s include Des Moines, Iowa, and Richmond, Va. The intent is to humanize the president, often viewed as coolly cerebral, for Obama to connect on a personal level with voters. The last Democratic president was Bill Clinton, who was and is still known for his intense charisma and his ability to empathize, to feel the pain, of ordinary Americans.

While Clinton received his law degree from Yale, his formative years were spent in Hot Springs, Ark., where he attended Hot Springs High School. Obama, in contrast, spent his formative years primarily in Honolulu, graduating from the Punahou Academy, a private school, before attending Columbia University and Harvard Law School.

Obama can’t hold a candle to Clinton in his ability to connect with ordinary people. And Obama’s struggle to connect, to empathize, is not helping his popularity.