I began broadcasting this commentary before the last presidential election. We’ve covered everything from arena agita to  fat fliers, drugged out TV stars to politicians caught with their pants down or caught with their pants down while texting. But if there’s been one over riding topic handled to one degree or another in the 700 or Crane’s Corner’s I’ve turned out, it’s the economy and what it’s been doing to people. It’s like the weather- everybody talks about it but nobody does anything about. Looking through the reams of copy I’ve written, I have to conclude one thing: Barack Obama is either a terrible procrastinator or he has absolutely no clue as to how to fix this shambles of an economy. I don’t blame Obama per se for the recession or the turndown or the economic malaise or what ever you want to call it. That was a witches’ brew of bad lending, greed, and excessive credit. But I do believe he made it worse with a near trillion goody bag for democrats and union people designed as a federal stimulus program. It’s been a colossal failure and it really failed in its most basic mission: putting people back to work. But he saved GM and Chrysler you say -for now- but the U.S. auto makers are still getting their tailgates kicked by the imports many of the foreign owned car companies who make their U.S. market vehicles right here. And Mr. President, what have you done lately? From 2007 - just before he was elected until now - more than a million Americans have lost a job in this economy. Not exactly the hope and change the O man ran on in 08. And while the hiring trend is improving, would you the jobless rate just under 8--your campaign slogan? It seems his obsession with getting a flawed national health care bill through congress and stacking the Supreme Court with liberals made him a modern day hero, who seemed to be fiddling around while the U.S. economy burns. But shouldn’t we voters have known better? Obama did nothing of consequence in the Illinois legislature or the U.S. Senate.

Obama’s failed to end two multi billion dollar military operations overseas, he’s taken a fight that wasn’t ours to Libya, he’s alienated a decades old ally in Israel, and yet, until Wednesday night, when some 67 million Americans - like a double Super Bowl audience - tuned in to watch Mitt Romney expose the many weaknesses currently plaguing the leader of the free world.

Romney has the ball, time on the clock, and suddenly an offense to go with the defense he showed against his primary opponents. The race is now his to lose. Obama can point all the fingers he wants. He can hope things will change, but as long as Romney and the American people stare down his record, his chances are slim and none, and slim’s already left town.