I think Jim Geraghty nails this question today:
"I don't think this is because people are following the specific ins and outs of Obama's budget, or they like the ballooning deficit, the tax increases, or the rosy scenarios that it assumes in the economy's performance. It's that 52 percent or so of the public voted for the guy, he gives good speeches, he's got an adorable family that are on a million magazine covers, they want things to get better, and so they're putting their faith in him. If he said everyone hopping on one foot would improve the economy, a large swath of America would respond by asking which foot should be lifted and which foot should be hopping. So those of us who disagree with Obama need to break through apolitical Americans' general sense of "he's a good guy, I trust him, I'm not going to look too closely at what he's doing."
It will take time, but if we keep pointing out the problems and the meanings behind what Obama is doing, breaking through can be done.
