Chris Matthews: Can Obama Replicate Reagan’s ’82 Victory? (Hint: No)

President Ronald Reagan keeps popping up as the historical touch point in this year’s election cycle. It has been noted by more than one media pundit that President Obama‘s numbers are not as low as Reagan’s were at this state of his presidency and on Sunday Chris Matthews wondered if Obama would be able to pull out the same last minute turnaround Reagan did with his “stay the course” message. Answer: No.

Said Norah O’Donnell:”It’s the argument that [the voters] have been waiting for, and they just don’t buy. The whole notion that things are getting better. They’re just not comfortable with that.”

Gloria Borger concurred: The President is trying to get out there and convince voters this elections is about them and…he hasn’t been able to make that connection yet and he’s got to be careful that he doesn’t turn off those independent voters by getting so partisan they are even more enthusiastic about getting out there and voting against him.

Major Garrett (yes!) meanwhile thinks we maybe have to rethink how we’re defining victory: [The Dems] are going to lose 35 seats in the House.” If the Dems manage to hold onto the House that will constitute a “form of victory.” It’s probably worth noting that not everyone thought Reagan’s “victory” in 1982 was actually a victory.

The problem, notes Matthews is that to many, many voters “Obama is the name for their pain.” Watch below.

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