DOES BARACK UNDERSTAND THIS? – AT 5:06 P.M. ET:  President Obama's approval rating in the daily Gallup tracker has reached an all-time low.

Only 45% of those polled approve of the job the president is doing, whereas 48% disapprove.  Approval in the low 40s is getting to be the norm with this president. 

If this trend continues, and the Republicans do extremely well in the midterms, the president's wings will be clipped on domestic policy.  The problem is that presidents have shown themselves to be sovereign in foreign policy, and Obama might just push bull-headedly forward with some of his reckless appeasement antics. 

The 2010 and 2012 elections are shaping up to be among the most critical in our recent history.  They also will be brutal, and involve exceptionally painful choices on taxes and spending. 

There is a Chinese curse:  "May you live in interesting times."  We are living in very interesting times, and this president is not mastering them.

April 11, 2010