Turning Around a Struggling Administration: Free Advice for POTUS from A25OTUS

I just read in the NYT that the Obama administration is holding a special review and strategy session this weekend. According to the NYT, a White House aide said 22 officials with Cabinet rank will meet with administration advisers at Blair House this weekend. They will use this time to take stock of what the administration has accomplished and plan for the future.

I've been watching Obama's steeply dropping Presidential approval ratings...so I think I understand why this July 31 - August 1 working weekend is so important. As a management consultant, I know that there is only one real reason for organizational failure - the behavior of the leader at the very top of the organization.

I've had the unique experience of being an award-winning political scientist, a successful management consultant, and an early advisor to the young BHO. In that spirit, I would make the following recommendations to him for turning around his struggling presidency:

1. Quit your substance abuse. You can't perform as President and also damage your brain with alcohol, tobacco or other drugs ATOD.

2. Pick the brains of those who predicted the failure of the stimulus package...these are the economists and social scientists who really understand how a modern economy functions, prospers and produces jobs. (Give Steve Forbes a call.)

3. Remember that the most successful Presidents of the past have done what has helped them stay high in the polls. This is one of the unique blessings of the American political system. If the President is doing well in the polls, then he is usually making wise decisions that benefit the nation.

I don't expect BHO to ever read this post. Nevertheless, this would be my sincere advice based on what I know about him and the larger patterns of U.S. politics.

Augustine 25 is the pseudonym of an award-winning political scientist.

The Gates of Unpopularity: Obama Dropping in Job Approval Numbers

There is plenty of good news in the paper today. Rasmussen Reports, for example, now shows a majority of likely voters disapprove of President Obama's performance. They indicated that 49% of voters say they at least somewhat approve, while fifty percent (50%) disapprove.

Rasmussen Reports have a tendency to make Obama look relatively less popular because they are based on a sample of likely voters.

Other firms that are more popular with the mainstream media base their approval ratings on samples of all adults. As Rasmussen indicates: "President Obama's numbers are always several points higher in a poll of adults rather than likely voters." The reason? The younger voters who are among the most ardent supporters of Obama are actually less likely to show up and vote in mid-term and later presidential elections.

Augustine 25 is the pseudonym of an award-winning political scientist.

Blue Collar America Fights Back: Thoughts on Gov. Palin's Retirement

Gov. Palin's experience with the mainstream media and the Democrat party has reminded me, once again, of the sheer hatred liberals have for the white working class population in the U.S. They are quick to attack the folks who are devoted to their families, strengthened by their religious beliefs, and committed to a positive view of U.S. heritage and our role in the world. I'm glad that Gov. Palin is fighting for Joe the Plumber, Frank Ricci, and Sgt. James Crowley - the people most abused by the Democrat party and its sick, dysfunctional ideology.

Augustine 25 is the pseudonym of an award-winning political scientist.

Bye Bye Credibility: Reacting to the Obama Healthcare Press Conference

From Obama’s comments, I can see why the AP and Rasmussen show his poll numbers steeply declining despite his appealing personal charm.

First of all, it’s silly to blame the banks for problems that were caused, and most likely solved, by the changes in accounting rules - specifically, the absurd mark-to-market rule.

Second, Obama doesn’t take responsibility for the damage caused to the job market by two years of Democrat party control and six months of the Obama presidency. He really doesn’t explain why his predictions were so off-the-mark concerning the stimulus package, while Limbaugh and others (including me) easily predicted its failure.

Finally, I don’t think Obama is addressing the issue that he would be “forcing” people to buy health insurance if they don’t want it and are okay of living with the danger of managing their own healthcare. As Ann Coulter observed in her column today, socialized medicine is like being forced to "...share a restaurant bill with Michael Moore."

Augustine 25 is the pseudonym of an award-winning political scientist.

Rasmussen Reports Show Steep Decline in Obama Job Approval Numbers

Augustine 25 is the pseudonym of an award-winning political scientist.

Redefining Participaton: Listening to Sotomayor Make Policy in the Ricci Decision

I listened to Sotomayor’s abrupt, opinionated, and rude treatment of the lawyer in the Ricci case. This audio recording shows you how “policy is made” by Judge Sotomayor.

Listen carefully as she bends around the word “participation” to suit her absurd point of view that the elected officials in New Haven did not really harm Frank Ricci. http://www.politico.com/largevideobox.html?bcpid=14146694001&bclid=1201016315&bctid=29854202001

In America, we deserve better and more restrained courtroom behavior than what’s illustrated on this audio tape. I can see why even among Second Circuit judges, Sotomayor was considered to stick out like a sore thumb when it came to being a bully.

Being a bully, in my view, is the logical outcome of her ideological stance that she is a “wise Latina” who is entitled to make policy by redefining the common meaning of language to suit her own policy preferences.

Can You Hear Me Now? Obama Poll Numbers Drop As Unemployment Rises