Amazingly enough watching the president reach out again and again to Republican leaders who are doing everything in their power to destroy his presidency—and watching the president jettison Democratic priorities and back away from campaign promises to important Democratic constituencies—is hurting the president among Democrats, liberals, and progressives. No one could have predicted. While some have have already concluded that the president is a disappointing wuss, I'm going withhold judgment until Wednesday night. But I'm not optimistic.