Why President Obama loses by winning

POLITICO is trying to figure out why Obama's job approval numbers keep falling even when he supposedly gets something done.

From a new article by John F. Harris and Jim Vandehei:

The problem is that he and the West Wing are not especially good at politics, or communications — in other words, largely ineffective at the very things on which their campaign reputation was built. And the promises he made during two years of campaigning have turned out to be much less appealing as actual policies.

"I tell you, it's very frustrating that it's not breaking through, when you look at these things and their scale," said a top Obama adviser, who spoke on background to offer a candid take on the state of play. "Can you imagine if Bill Clinton had achieved even one of these? Part of it is because we are divided, even on the left…And part of it is the culture of immediate gratification."

But there are many other reasons for Obama's woes. Based on interviews with officials in the administration and on Capitol Hill, and with Democratic operatives around town, there are a half-dozen reasons why Obama is perceived as failing to win over the public, even though by most conventional measures, he is clearly succeeding.

Why President Obama loses by winning - John F. Harris and Jim VandeHei - POLITICO.com