Expectations are a funny thing.  For some, they're highly motivational—driving incredible work ethic and catalyzing stellar performance.  For others, they become an albatross—the impetus for perpetual excuse-making and obfuscation.  It can be damn hard, after all, to hide the fact you're an enormous disappointment.

It's rather unambiguous that President Obama finds himself (well, actually he's put himself) in the latter category.

His and his campaign's efforts to lower the re-election bar have become oh-so-entertaining, and illustrative of his precipitous fall.

I was particularly amused by his comments yesterday to KMBC-TV in Kansas City.  When queried about his 2012 prospects, he said his re-election "would be based on voters' belief that I've been on their side and working as hard as I can."

Really?

No doubt he hopes the general electorate lives in his liberal utopia where everybody gets a trophy just for participating.  Somebody may want to clue him in that this is the big leagues now, not a Little League field in Hawaii.

So, sorry Barry, we may have to hurt your feelings and cut you from the team.  Don't worry though; it'll be a character builder.

What's most amazing of course is how he got to this point.  This was a guy, just three short years ago, ostensibly elected on the Miss America platform...'I'm going to cure all know diseases, eradicate world hunger, and save the polar ice caps.'

Now, he just wants to get through the day without someone being mean to him.

Goals change.

And so have our expectations.

Forget "Hope and Change."  The 2012 campaign slogan might as well be, "I can still fog a mirror."

Not particularly soaring, but at least it doesn't mis-set expectations.