OF COURSE HE DOES: Obama Fears Losing Reelection More Than Default. He can at least try to blame the Republicans for default. If he loses reelection the blame will fall entirely on him.

Related: Poll: GOP Has 10-Point Edge Over Democrats In Public Trust On Economic Issues. “The 10 point lead is the widest margin held by either party in months and has opened up in recent weeks as President Obama and House Speaker John Boehner have become the central players in the debate over how to deal with the approaching debt-ceiling crisis.”