In his most recent article for the New York Times, columnist Charles Blow compared the "current political environment" to a science fiction movie The Fifth Element. To set up his argument, Blow cites a July 22 Pew Research Center report showing that lower-income white voters who supported Democrats by a 15-point margin in 2008 are abandoning their Party. Republicans now hold a four-point lead with white families making less than $30,000.

He compares the awakened poor white folk to a group of "simple-minded" alien warriors in the film who are being "used" by their evil, wealthy industrialist leader. The latter supposedly represents the GOP whose policies have "adversely affected the poor, the young and the less educated."

Interestingly, President Obama employed the same talking point at his press conference on Friday. The "mad at everybody working stiffs" should blame the evil Republicans if the country goes into default and the bills don't get paid.

We should not even be in that kind of scenario.  And if Congress - and in particular, the House Republicans - are not willing to make sure that we avoid default, then I think it's fair to say that they would have to take responsibility for whatever problems arise in those payments.

Obama's feigned attempts to identify with average Americans while his media pals insult them has taken its toll. The Pew report also revealed the GOP has "picked up support" among all age groups. In addition, Democrats had a seven-point lead over Republicans with white women voters in 2008; three years later the Republicans have a five-point lead with the same group. These are the gung-ho believers who put Obama over the top in 2008. Winning a second term will be nearly impossible without their support.

Norah O'Donnell, CBS' chief White House correspondent, prefaced her question at Friday's press conference with this bold observation.

Mr President, there seems to be an extraordinary breakdown of trust involved here.

No doubt, Norah and Republican members of Congress seem to be taking their constituents distrust of Obama's motives very seriously. In fact, underlying the debt ceiling debate is the question: after the last two and a half years of squandered stimulus money, Obamacare, fat cat bailouts, rising unemployment, small businesses uncertainty and  radical czars transforming the country, is there anyone out there who still trusts this administration?

Maybe Charles Blow chose the wrong sci-fi movie to describe the political climate since Obama came on the scene. A more apt example would be John Carpenter's The Thing. Who can forget the shape-shifting alien who burrows into his human hosts, imitating each of them perfectly until a terrified Dr. Blair tells the hero, MacReady, "I don't know who to trust."

MacReady replies, "I know what you mean, Blair. Trust's a tough thing to come by these days."

Read more M. Catharine Evans commentaries at Potter Williams Report