Sorry, Obama: Your economic policies weren't 'awesome'

Obama thinks he deserves more kudos for the economy. Here's why he doesn't.

Obama's mismatched legacy
(Image credit: Mark Wilson/Getty Images)

"Our policies are so awesome," Obama reportedly told aides in 2011. "Why can't you guys do a better job selling them?"

In many ways, that quote sums up the mystery Mike Grunwald works through in a recent Politico article: By a host of economic metrics — job growth, energy imports, the deficit, uninsured rates, and more — the country has been on a crazy winning streak. And yet the American people think things are going terribly, and the president has struggled to hold on to their approval.

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Jeff Spross

Jeff Spross was the economics and business correspondent at TheWeek.com. He was previously a reporter at ThinkProgress.