The emergence of the new tough-talking, angry-sounding, confrontational President Obama has heartened liberals who worried that he was too willing to compromise and unable to hold his ground on issues that Democrats really cared about. By taking a page from Truman’s playbook, Give ‘Em Hell Barack is betting that he can stir up his restive base.
But the strategy also risks Obama’s most precious asset: his likability. Even as his approval ratings have sunk into the low 40s, 78 percent of Americans in an AP poll conducted in August characterized him as “a likable person.”
There was a lot for ordinary people to like. Devoted family man. Sports fan. An air of reasonableness. A winning speaker. Quick on the riposte. Always ready for a game of hoops. An endearingly awful golf swing. And most of all, a big-heartedness that suggested he really cared about people.
But the attack-dog Obama is plainly stating that he cares about only some of the people. People who have worked hard and achieved success – people, in short, like Barack Obama – are suddenly cast as villains.
The problem with pugnacious rhetoric is that it polarizes the electorate, and that ultimately works against Obama. In 2008, he appealed strongly to independent voters who projected whatever persona they wanted on Obama – and found him immensely likable. But now Obama is no longer a protean politician. He has defined himself as a class warrior who implicitly rejects the American belief in limitless opportunity. People in the middle of the political spectrum may well conclude that he doesn’t care about them anymore. If that happens, he will no longer be the guy they liked – and elected.
