What happened to Obama’s "hope" and "change"? On CNN’s "Parker/Spitzer," Eliot Spitzer argues that Obama has not taken control of the message surrounding his presidency, most notably failing to explain how his administration planted the seeds for economic recovery. Conservative commentator Will Cain says that "you can’t count on people who are constantly disillusioned."

The Nation‘s Ari Melber, on the other hand, points out that the results of the midterm elections should not necessarily be used as a reflection of Obama’s current popularity or likelihood for re-election in 2012. Melber argues that in the presidential elections, "voters under 45 went for Obama and voters under 30 voted for Obama with a 34 point margin—the largest in the last several elections. In the midterms you have much lower turnout traditionally among younger people and partly the African American base." All of which, says Melber, points to the fact that "what we’re seeing is a conversation about who’s turning out—not necessarily that [Obama’s base] is unhappy."

—Joanna Chiu