The President's political travel is going to get blamed (and probably rightly) for a share of this downturn.

Look at the declining television coverage. Look at the declining voting rate. Economics and economic news is what moves the country now, not politics.

It is my belief that it is not the fact that he traveled as much as he did during the past few months as much as what he said and how he said it that hurt him.

People just automatically say 'If this guy is George and Barbara Bush's son, we don't have any question about those personal qualities that we were fooled on by Clinton.'

Also the fact that anything he does is seen and heard by the entire country, not just his actual audience or those who live in the region he happens to be in.

Many citizens see all the leadership of these large institutions together in a conspiracy against them rather than in any adversary relationship with each other.

Most of the things that need to be said about the President are things he can't say himself.