Will Obama lose American's Trust?

I have always loved Peggy Noonan. I love the way she writes. Needless to say I was a bit saddened and appalled by her being swooned by Pres. Obama. But she writes it as she sees it, and at the time she saw him as uniter, a different kind of politician. She saw him as one who would rise above petty politics and govern fairly.

She, like the rest of us, have learned that he is nothing of that. She has an excellent piece at the WJS on what Americans are feeling on this healthcare bill, and the impression Obama is giving of himself in defending it. We all know that Obama has the votes to cram this bill down our throats, whether we want it or not. Reasonable Democrats may resist, but they may not. So in this one sentence, Peggy illustrates perfectly what happens if this passes:

If he wins it, will be a victory not worth having. It will have cost too much. It has lessened the thing an admired president must have from the people, and that is trust.

And there it is. Whether this bill passes or not, politically, Republicans have won. If it doesn't, then we saved our country from this debacle. If it does, then Obama loses the people's trust, and the next three years will be very difficult. We will probably win back the House and Senate in 2010 and Obama will unlikely win re-election.

Obama has no one to blame but himself for the corner he is backed into now. He allowed the likes of Pelosi to craft a boondoggle bill that far overreached the concerns that many have on health care. Instead of listening to the people, he dismissed them. He ignored those at the townhalls. He allowed those on his side to demonize, not the Republicans, but the American people.

And they won't forget that.