Obama's horrible year: Even his supporters wonder if he can reboot his administration and save his second term

◼ For President Obama, 2013 will go down as a year of self-inflicted wounds, wasted political capital and missed opportunities that imperiled his second-term agenda and fundamentally changed how many Americans view his administration. - Brian Hughes/Washington Examiner

“His principal campaign theme was 'Mitt Romney is a rich, white guy,' " said Barbour, explaining why Obama has so quickly lost his reservoir of good will.

◼ Pew: Liberal support for Obama at all-time low, worse than George W. Bush and conservatives - Paul Bedard/Washington Examiner

Following on the heels of other political groups, President Obama's liberal base is abandoning him, giving him an even lower level of support from his base than George W. Bush had from conservatives five years into his presidency, according to a new Pew Research Center poll.

Just 54 percent of liberal Democrats strongly approve of Obama in their new poll. For Bush at this stage of his presidency, 65 percent of conservatives strongly supported the Republican.

Worse for Obama: Younger liberals have lost their thrill for Obama more than older liberals. Of those aged 18-49, just 46 percent strongly approve of the president, 39 percent “not so strongly,” said Pew.

◼ Obama’s suffering - Neoneocon

The wording of this WaPo headline caught my eye: ◼ “Obama Suffers Most From Year of Turmoil, Poll Finds.”

...Again, we have the president as sufferer, and even though here (finally!) the wounds are “self-inflicted.” But it is the administration rather than the president himself that is doing the damage. Note, also, that this observation is followed in the same sentence by a balancing reference to the government shutdown, which didn’t hurt Obama at all and was widely blamed on the Republicans.

All in all, a masterpiece of subtly crafted writing designed to effect a certain perception: that of a beleaguered president who is the suffering victim.

◼ So You Think Obama’s 2013 Was Bad? Just Wait Until 2014 - Peter Wehner/Commentary