Obama cannot run on his record

[Quantum Windbag]

Now, preparing for next year's re-election campaign, Obama is moving to refurbish a political brand that has been defined for the worst by his Republican opponents, dented by the realities of governing and battered by a faltering economy. He is going on the road to Americans' workplaces to argue he's made tough decisions that will pay off over time.

But his approval rating on handling the issue Americans care about most, the economy, has dipped to a dismal 37%. Asked whether the president deserves re-election, those surveyed by 51%-47% say he does not. "It was an extraordinary event, a courageous decision and an important step forward for the country," David Axelrod, a senior Obama adviser, says of the bin Laden operation. "Was it a transformative political event? I can't say that. Ultimately people view these elections through the lens of their own experiences, and right now that's the economy."
For the president, the economy is "the whale in the bathtub," says political scientist Steven Schier, editor of Transforming America: Barack Obama in the White House.

In a cheer-leading video sent to the president's supporters, Obama campaign manager Jim Messina declared: "We ought not to act like an incumbent. We ought to act like an insurgent campaign."
However, the president's team acknowledges that Obama can't simply reprise his 2008 brand. As the incumbent, "change" this time might mean replacing him in the White House. He can't ignore the record, both the accomplishments and the setbacks, of his first term.

Obama seeks reshaped image for 2012 run - USATODAY.com