Inside The American Mind

By Patrick Appel
Obama's trip hasn't given him a bump in the polls, not yet anyway. Joe Klein has a theory why:

People may be thinking, what on earth is Obama doing over there when we have so many problems back home? Why isn't he talking about the economy? No doubt, the Obama staff figured they needed this week abroad to establish the image of Obama as a potential Commander-in-Chief...and, no doubt, he will turn to the economy--a Democratic strength, according to the polls--when he gets home. But I wouldn't be surprised if Obama is paying a price for vamping about overseas while banks are cratering, gas prices soar and people are getting really, really nervous about their futures.