Obama tops Romney

I wrote a few days ago that if the Democrats could maintain the enthusiasm they showed on the first day of their convention for all three days, Mitt Romney would be in serious trouble.

They did, and he is.

If this is not what the polls currently show, try to remember that polls are not destiny. And you should not let them shape it.

Democratic enthusiasm - - real fire-in-the-belly enthusiasm - - is a killer for Romney for one big reason: There is no sizable pro-Romney movement in this country. There has been a sizable anti-Obama movement. There are relatively few Republicans deeply in love with Romney. (I except his family, friends and paid staff.)

...In 1996, the last time a Democratic president ran for reelection, there was a significant anti-Bill Clinton movement in this country. This was before the Monica Lewinsky scandal. But a lot of right-wingers hated Bill Clinton and felt he was guilty of unspeakable crimes like murder and drug-trafficking. That didn’t mean there was a significant pro-Bob Dole movement, however. And Clinton won easily by 8.5 percentage points.

This is not 1996, the economy is bad, the cast of characters has changed and nobody is going to win by 8.5 percentage points. But the dynamic is the same: It is harder to turn out a vote against someone than a vote for someone.

Anger is not a movement. Disappointment is not a cause. And passionate support is an antidote to both.

Read more: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0912/80903.html#ixzz25mRNRWZU