The Right blogosphere is chuckling over the last Barack Obama ad lib suggesting that America has gone downhill. Combined with the Old Michelle ( e.g. America is mean, she’s never been proud of America) rather than the New Michelle, it revives the meme that Obama doesn’t think all that highly of the country and the fellow citizens he seeks to lead.

But really, it is not just a matter of an off-the-cuff remark. (By the way can you imagine that if Joe Biden is selected as VP he might actually be the less gaffe-prone of the two?) That gloomy assessment and glum world outlook is essential to his message. Remember: if the country is not in dire straits then no ordinary, experienced politician will do. We have to throw away the playbook, take a leap of faith and elect the One Who Is Like No Other. So of course everything must be worse than before — why else would we need Him?