Say Anything

The narrative from the left about Mitt Romney’s pick of Rep. Paul Ryan as his running mate is that it was a benefit to the President, and especially congressional races like the Senate race between Heidi Heitkamp and Rick Berg here in North Dakota, because Ryan is supposedly so “extreme” on budget matters.

The problem for that narrative is, given how Obama’s polling on fiscal issues right now, Ryan might have been an inspired pick. Obama has low, low approval numbers on the economy and the budget deficit, and those just happen to be Ryan’s strong suit.

Three months before the election, President Barack Obama gets good marks from Americans for his handling of terrorism, fair marks for education and foreign affairs, but poor marks on immigration and three big economic issues: the federal budget deficit, creating jobs, and the economy generally. …

Obama’s ratings on the economy are significantly worse than all three prior successful presidential incumbents at this same point in their first term, according to the available Gallup trends. His 36% approval rating on the economy is well below George W. Bush’s rating in August 2004 (46%), Bill Clinton’s in August 1996 (54%), and Ronald Reagan’s in July 1984 (50%). Still, in terms of comparisons to presidents who lost, Obama’s economic rating is substantially better than that of George H.W. Bush in July 1992 (18%). Gallup did not measure Americans’ approval of Jimmy Carter on the economy in 1980.

Making these numbers even worse for Obama and Demcorats are Gallup numbers from a couple of weeks ago showing the economy and budget matters topping the list of concerns among voters.

Democrats are still banking on the idea that Americans are scared of entitlement reform. And, to be sure, “Mediscare” and other tactics have made entitlement reforms a political third rail. But these are strange times in the political world, and it may be that the public’s appetite for kicking the can down the road on entitlements has been sated.

Paul Ryan’s addition to the national ballot may just have made this election an referendum on the public’s appetite for tough entitlement and budget reforms. Are we ready for it? Or are we going to stay on the track we’re on now?