Obama and the Beginning of Voters’ Regret

It did not take 100 days of the new administration for some people to have second thoughts about having voted for President Obama. Most Democratic voters will never admit it. Most Republican voters will be quick to say “I told you so”, while some independent voters are feeling disappointed again.

I started to get a growing sense that more and more people are having voters’ regret when one very brave and loyal listener to my radio show called and asked me if I knew what a “mulligan” was. I said yes because I play golf, and it’s when you are allowed to take a shot over if you make a bad shot when playing with friends.

Jane then said, “Mr. Cain, I want a mulligan, because I voted for Barack Obama.”

Over the last few weeks more callers have slipped that confession into their comments as more and more people wake up to an apparent lack of control by the president, what appears to be a micro-management style and too many already broken campaign promises. Many of the confessions have come from self-described independent voters, but even some self-described Democrats have expressed their remorse.

Democrats will continue to use the excuses that Obama inherited this mess, it was Bush’s mistakes that make it so difficult for Obama, it’s too early to judge the success or failure of his policies, and he can’t change the culture in Congress overnight – to name just a few of their favorite excuses.

And let’s not forget the mainstream media, which feels as if they helped to usher in a new era in American history by helping to elect our first president who happens to be black. They not only echo all the Democratic excuses, but they act as the “criticism police” toward anyone who dares to criticize President Obama.

Last week in a speech, the president was dismissive and rather condescending toward the Tax Day Tea Party rallies held last April 15 across the country. Those rallies were indicative of people’s frustrations and disappointments with many of the early Obama Administration policies, especially the tsunami spending.

Although not scientific, this voters’ regret trend is important because many Democrats were elected to Congress due to the “Obama effect” down ticket. This gave the Democrats an increased majority in both chambers of Congress, which has allowed them to literally ram-rod a lot of pent up liberal legislation through Congress for the president’s signature.

So far, he has signed them all. With a phantom “universal health care” plan and a “cap and tax” environmental bill on the horizon, the socialization of the United States of America is on a fast track.

I don’t think this is the “change” people expected from President Obama.

According to Jacqueline Salit, Executive Editor of The Neo-Independent magazine, nearly 30 percent of Americans who voted in the 2008 election were independents. Obama polled 52 percent of the Independent vote as compared with McCain’s 44 percent.

As a result, the 2008 “Obama effect” could potentially have a reverse effect in the 2010 congressional elections, which could cut into the already dominant control of the Congress by the Democrats. Let’s hope so!

If the voters’ regret trend after the first 100 days continues, just think of how many more independents and some Democrats might wake up over the next 1,360 days.

It’s a beautiful possibility!