"FDR Went to Wisconsin to Battle 'Economic Royalists,' But Obama Avoids The State and the Fight"

John Nichols:

President Obama is interrupting his long vacation to bus across the battleground states of the Midwest this week [1], on an officially “non-political” journey that his aides obviously hope will renew a connection with the people who overwhelmingly elected him president in 2008. It is an essential endeavor, as Obama’s uncertain tenure has frustrated voters who once saw him as a transformational leader but now wonder whether there is a point to his presidency.

The disconnect between Obama and his base has grown more profound this year, as he has focused on the compromises of Washington while working people in Wisconsin, Michigan, Ohio and other states have engaged in “Which side are you on?” fights against a Republican austerity agenda that threatens the very underpinnings of civil society and democratic experiment. MORE...