It's Over: Obama loses Europe.

TKO.  Explained below.

This past weekend Tim Geithner made some unsolicited remarks about European debt. President Obama has followed suit. Both remarks have not been well received.  In fact, they've been harsh. Admittedly, that is deservedly so.  The president's White House is casting about for a villain, any villain, that it can use as a shield against criticism on it's woefully bad attempts at economic recovery.  If the Republican's won't do, blame Europe, if that doesn't catch on, maybe it reverts back to blame Bush.

However, just like most Americans, the Europeans aren't buying his shtick any more.  Take a look at the following reaction in Der Spiegel;

"Obama's lecture on the euro crisis … is overbearing, arrogant and absurd. … In a nutshell, he is claiming that Europe is to blame for the current financial crisis, which is 'scaring the world.' Excuse me?"

That's not exactly the same sort of fawning reaction he received in 2008.  Can you imagine with the increasing threat of a Greek meltdown inside the White House meeting to discuss how to not let a good crisis go to waste?

What do we do? We need a villain - it'll help our re-election chances.  Let's blame Europe and ignore our own prodigal ways.  Yeah - that's the ticket.

Could any less thought have gone into this reaction?  The Great Reconciler, posy-partisan motif had an opportunity to be put on display but has long since been cast aside in favor of the pugnacious fighter approach.  The problem with that approach for the president is that he's getting hit back a lot harder than he's giving and he's starting to look like the referee will need to stop the fight.  He's punching wildly and not connecting on anything.  If you've lost the Europeans Mr. President, it's over.