Jimmy Carter managed "to fool the voters with his toothy grin and pleasant countenance during most of the long 1976 campaign season."

It's weird — isn't it? — that Obama is letting himself appear so downbeat.

Yeah, it's weird — especially since Obama initially got popular by making people believe in hope.

What's going on? Is he downbeat about America? Conceivably, he's confident enough in the positive image that he's established that he feels he can say some things that — at least to some people — are "reminiscent of Jimmy Carter's gloomiest, malaise-based assessments of America during his awful presidency."

Is there some idea that the candidates should cheer us up more? I've been thinking for a long time that Obama's greatest strength is that his election will cheer up a lot of people.

IN THE COMMENTS: Bissage writes:

Nobody ever said it better than George Costanza: “Jerry, just remember, it's not a lie if you believe it.”

Mr. Obama is basically an honest person caught up in a game where the winners are expert dissemblers. To compete successfully you have to turn your back on a part of yourself that you used to deeply believe made you a good person . . . made you special . . . made you worthy of love.

Only the busiest of us can look into the eyes of a seven year old girl without seeing a part of our old selves in the reflection.

Mr. Obama has been under a lot of stress lately and he’s worn-out and he’s having a personal crisis of self-confidence.

And he’s seeking the comfort of what once was.

He’s reverting to the truth of how he really feels.

But it’s no big deal, really. It can happen to the best of us.