The polls are in--Obama and the Democrats are losing ground with Americans

I read in The Wall Street Journal that a new poll has devastating news for the Democrats. A Pew Research Center report just out has found that trust in government is at an "historic low" of only 22%. But I thought Barack Obama was going to be the savior of the Western world.

After one year of President Obama, after passage of the party's health-care bill, after spending zillions on all sorts of questionable economic ideas, the American people have the lowest opinion ever of national government.

Another survey reveals the movement away from the Democrats' ideas on more government and increased regulations. The Journal reports that a year ago 54% said government should exert more control over the economy; a year later it's 40%. Some 58% say Uncle Sam is interfering too much in state and local affairs; 53% want "very major reform" of the federal government.

Wow, who would have thought so much could happen in a year? Americans' desire for smaller government has ironically grown ever since Barack Obama took office. Something unique happened in the first Obama year. We have had a chance to see the true cost of government. Think of the mind-boggling numbers we have had to deal with over the past year. The financial crisis and the recession led Democrats to wave a $787 billion stimulus at the problem in early 2009. Then, on April 30, they passed a 2010 budget of $3.5 trillion. This year their 2011 budget hit $3.8 trillion, reaching a post-World War II high of 25% of GDP. In March, they passed the trillion-dollar health-care bill. Keep in mind all of this was passed during a recession with 9% unemployment. Where's the money coming from? Not the rich, so get ready to bleed money in new ways.

Think of what it was like when Obama tok over to appreciate the change. Barack Obama started with public support for his party (62% said they liked the Democrats in January 2009). But that is gone now. Since he took office, the percentage of people who want smaller government and fewer services has risen, to 50% from 42%.

What makes this such strange irony is the actions taken by Obama as his numbers slid off the charts. He worked to give the nation health care, he sat down with the Russians to create an arms treaty, he coordinated a huge 47-nation, anti-proliferation convocation in Washington. But all this whirlwind of activity had the opposite effect from what he expected. Americans are more cynical of big government. People want less, and don't trust what they've got. They want reform.

One last bit of interesting news from the Journal. In 1994 when the Democrats lost over 50 House seats at mid-term, the party's favorable rating was 62%, and for the Congress they controlled it was 53%. They still got killed. Now the party's favorable is 38% and Congress's approval is 25%. Wow, can you say "Big trouble ahead"?