Obama Has Regained His Mojo

President Barack Obama has regained his mojo.

How do I know? He is, once again, acting like a television star. He has reclaimed his swagger.

Forget the polls, for a moment. I don't really give a damn what they say about him. I can see the change in his face, as I watch him on television.

Our president is re-energized. He has, again, claimed a sense of purpose. It could just be my imagination in overdrive, but doesn't it seem like the evening-news anchors refer to him with more respect these days as well?

They no longer betray the sneer they were displaying throughout much of a very trying 2009.

The victory of Scott Brown in Massachusetts has actually had a positive effect on the White House: It scared straight the administration.

President Obama was, to be charitable, meandering as he approached his first anniversary in office. Not-so-kind critics would have said outright that he was stumbling and groping for a way to reclaim the snap, crackle, and pop of his now-halcyon days on the stump.

The president must’ve gotten a wake-up call when Brown — a different version of himself, as a campaigner against the sins and excesses of Washington — came along and won a difficult election.

Does it remind Obama of anyone to ponder the example of an upstart outsider, with little in the way of a proven record, to come virtually out of nowhere and charm the media and, in turn, the public?

It sure reminded me of someone: Barack Obama himself. And that’s a good thing for the United States..

But wouldn’t it be ironic if Obama drew inspiration from watching Scott Brown in action, doing almost exactly what he had done himself?

Jon Friedman writes the Media Web column for MarketWatch. To see Jon’s latest column, click here.