A new Wall Street Journal-NBC News poll of 1,000 American adults is proof that Barack Obama is in trouble.

That poll has been historically friendly to the president, but this time the stats are grim.

Here we go:

• Do you feel confident or not confident that life for our children's generation will be better than it has been for us?
• Just 21 % of Americans feel confident about that. A whopping 76% are not confident.

• Do you think things in the nation are generally headed in the right direction or are off track?
• Just 22% say right direction; 71% wrong track.

• Do you approve or disapprove of the job Barack Obama is doing as president?
• Forty percent approve; 54% disapprove; 6% not sure.

• Do you approve or disapprove of the job Congress is doing?
• Fourteen percent approve; 79% disapprove; 7% not sure.

• How do you feel towards Republicans in Congress?
• Positive 19%; neutral 24%; negative 54%.

• How do you feel about Democrats in Congress?
• Positive 31%; neutral 21%; negative 46%.

And finally:

• Are you satisfied or dissatisfied about how the United States is dealing with immigrant children from Central America?
• Just 11% satisfied; 64% dissatisfied; 20% don't know enough.

Now here's what the poll tells us:

Americans do not believe the country is being run effectively.

In Congress, they blame Republicans more than Democrats, but both parties are scorched.

And finally, President Obama receives low numbers on just about every vital issue.

That's very bad news for liberal America, which continues to support the president.

Here's how Dan Rather put it:

DAN RATHER: “President Obama's not using the power of the presidency. The basic power of the American presidency is the power to persuade, to persuade your own people, to follow your leadership and to follow those, persuade those overseas to follow. Now, the power of the presidency has been declining through at least our last two presidencies with President George W. Bush and -- has been declining there's no magic wand that Obama, President Obama can wave to solve that.”

Mr. Rather of course despises President Bush the younger and seems to be saying that Barack Obama is stymied primarily by the problems he inherited.

That's false.  And there's no need for a magic wand when you have six years to improve things.

Ronald Reagan inherited a mess from Jimmy Carter and turned it around.

Abraham Lincoln walked into incredible chaos -- largely the fault of James Buchanan -- but prevailed.

President Obama did inherit a terrible economy, but a fairly stable foreign situation.

Not only has Mr. Obama failed to improve the economic story, but on his watch foreign policy has nearly collapsed.

By nearly every measure, things are worse in America than when Mr. Obama took office.

Summing up, the American people sending President Obama a very clear message they are losing faith.

And that's the memo.