What a party pooper, we had so much fun mocking him for it.

(The Hill) — President Obama has dramatically shifted his tone on the economy, discarding a car-and-Slurpee analogy he often used in 2010 to suggest the nation was headed in the right direction.

The shift signals Obama understands voter patience with his administration’s handling of the economy is running out and suggests the White House does not believe all the economy’s ills can be blamed on the Bush administration, something Democrats relied upon during the 2010 midterm election.

Throughout 2010, Obama repeatedly compared the economy to a car in a ditch, one that got there because of Republican policies.

On the campaign trail, the president mocked Republicans for watching Democrats work hard to get the car back on the road while they sipped on Slurpees. Republicans, the story goes, then ask to drive the car, with Obama responding, “You can’t drive!”

But voters didn’t buy it in 2010, pinning blame for the economy on Obama and congressional Democrats. Republicans picked up 63 seats in the House and won control of the lower chamber while making a significant dent in the Senate Democratic majority