Obama Allies Fear His Presidency Is Disappearing

As President Barack Obama’s approval ratings continue to head south and the economy remains stuck in the muck, the relevance of his presidency has begun to fade. Things have gotten so bad that even his strongest allies worry that he won’t be able to get the economy on track and that he’ll lose his re-election bid, Politico reports.

“He has sort of lost the sense of power and mystique of the presidency,” said Andy Stern, former president of the Service Employees International Union and a longtime backer of Obama. “There’s also a sense that people aren’t scared of him. That’s very dangerous.”

Thursday night’s speech about jobs may represent the president’s final chance to take control of the narrative.

“He’s allowed the Congress to manhandle him, a top Democratic ally of Obama’s told Politico. “Every time he’s put his foot down, they’ve kicked him in the shin. It’s goddamn embarrassing. He’s losing power. He needs to grab it back.”