Does President Obama understand just how badly his presidency is going?  Is there someone telling him or speaking frankly about these problems?  My guess is that there is no one in the Obama White House who speaks bluntly and candidly.  By all indications, he's surrounded by people who scream "yes we can" every time he enters the room.

A few days ago, Ron Fournier wrote an article about White House staff changes.  It was very complete, including saying that President Obama needs to fire everybody and start from scratch.  He needs to hire truth-tellers, business leaders, and a Republican to improve relations with the Congress.

However, I'm not sure that he's capable of looking at himself in the mirror and seeing the truth.  

He is unlikely to do what President Clinton did after 1994 or President Bush after 2006.  Clinton took the political temperature and realized that he needed to sit down with the GOP.  Bush looked at the reality in Iraq, changed Sec. Rumsfeld, and approved the "surge."  Both men were stronger after they made these corrections.

Bush and Clinton had the ability to change.  Can Obama do that?

My guess is no, as George Condon, Jr. wrote today:

Though some dejected or burned-out aides may decide to leave of their own volition, the most likely reaction by Obama is to press on, his belief in his own rightness unshaken. Noting that incumbent parties almost always get crushed in sixth-year midterms, Galston said Washington should not be surprised if the president asks himself: "Why am I going to start firing people for something that happens routinely just because of the rhythms of American politics?"

My guess is that President Obama has been so isolated from reality that he can't see the truth between 'the rhythms of American politics" and a loss of confidence in his lack of leadership.  This is due to a couple of factors:

1) The "messiah" nature of his candidacy, especially a news media that never challenged any of the slogans.

2) The Democrats' unwillingness to criticize him and risk the African-American vote. 

So I am not expecting a lot of changes after the election.  In fact, it will be more of the same, and the country's frustration with President Obama will keep on growing. 

He will continue as the "bewildered bystander"!

P.S. You can hear CANTO TALK here & follow me on Twitter @ scantojr.