Sykes Baffled By Obama's Popularity, Poll Numbers

AM 620 WTMJ's Charlie Sykes is going to spend an hour this morning expressing his surprise that President Obama got a solid bounce from the Democratic Convention and has opened up a five-point lead over Mitt Romney.

The Right spends too much time talking and listening to itself: Most voters are not ideological, obsessed by inside baseball or moved by the GOP's 'end-is-coming' message delivered by candidates who do not inspire trust.

President Obama remains a charismatic figure who connects with voters. Many voters support candidates whom they like or to whom they are drawn, and wonky devotion to issues that drive talk show hosts is not what motivates many voters.

Barack Obama will win that calculus over Mitt Romney any day of the week - - even Romney's convention speakers and attendees were visibly less enthusiastic about their nominee than were Obama's - - no matter how many negative ads the Right and the Super Pac's manufacture.

Romney leaves people cold. Ryan's nose is still growing. It's an unappealing ticket.

The talkers should get out of their studios' isolation, turn off the sound of their own voices and rub shoulders with real people to get a read on the campaign.