Perhaps some are starting to notice the emperor’s new clothes … Or lack of them.

According to the latest Associated Press-GfK poll results released this week, a majority of Americans are back to thinking our country is headed in the wrong direction.

And President Barack Obama is no longer riding the tidal wave of unquestioning support.

President Obama still has a solid approval rating – 55 percent – but his numbers are dropping. In fact, confidence in his ability to fix the economy and create jobs has dropped 19 percentage points since January – a hefty decline.

As for President Obama’s ability to reduce the deficit, remove troops from Iraq and improve respect for the U.S. around the world? Confidence in those abilities all have dropped 15 percentage points in seven months … Another sizeable decline.

And, in perhaps the most telling number, 54 percent of those polled think the country is headed in the wrong direction – up from 46 percent in June.

So is any of this surprising?

Perhaps not to those of us who knew better than to pin all our hopes on one man and his promises of nearly miraculous change.

Instead, we’re faced with a president and a Democratic Congress trying to do too much too fast, pushing through legislation with seemingly little thought about the long-term consequences … all in the name of change. From the economic stimulus package, which has failed to produce expected results, to underestimating the severity of the unemployment and economic crises, President Obama and his administration are doing little to gain the confidence of everyday Americans who are watching, waiting for answers and solutions.

And now, we watch somewhat helplessly as the president pushes Congress to pass what he admits is a flawed health care reform package that – by most accounts –will result in rationed health care and compromised care, we have to wonder when someone will listen to the voice in the crowd challenging the emperor about his new clothes.