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| -Election 2012 |
| Barack Obama is facing his Jimmy Carter moment |
| 2012-05-26 |
| Until recently, Barack Obama's re-election was regarded as inevitable -- in the same way that summer follows spring, or a monsoon follows a hosepipe ban. The president's poll lead over Mitt Romney was strong, while the Republican's character was assassinated by a primary fight that permanently spoiled the reputation of his party. To court the GOP's conservative base, Romney was forced to adopt positions on abortion, contraception, health care and welfare that are thought to be unpopular among moderate swing voters. Obama, by contrast, is the man who killed bin Laden and toppled Gaddafi. A choice between Obama the moderate statesman and Romney the craven conservative is surely no contest at all. But in the last two weeks, things have changed. Obama's re-election is no longer guaranteed; some pollsters think it is unlikely. Day by day, the odds are improving that Mitt Romney will be the next President of the United States. What changed? For a start, voters are getting gloomier about the economy. Joblessness remains high and debt is out of control. According to one poll released this week, only 33 per cent of Americans expect the economy to improve in the coming months and only 43 per cent approve of the way that the president has handled it. Voters think Obama has made the debt situation and health care worse. The man who conducted the poll -- Democrat Peter Hart -- concluded that "Obama's chances for re-election... are no better than 50-50." |
| Posted by:tipper |
| #15 Thanks B'man! Oddly enough, I feel safer in New Delhi than I do in downtown Dallas or Fort Worth. |
| Posted by: Secret Asian Man (assignment New Delhi) 2012-05-26 21:47 |
| #14 We have been having a 'Jimmy Carter Moment' for the past 3 1/2 years... |
| Posted by: Free Radical 2012-05-26 20:54 |
| #13 Stay safe SAM. |
| Posted by: Besoeker 2012-05-26 18:45 |
| #12 Anyone who votes for him now is a true believer or just fucking stupid. And there's plenty of each. |
| Posted by: Secret Asian Man (assignment New Delhi) 2012-05-26 18:18 |
| #11 Im happy to compromise and consider Carter/Obama as a single gestalt President who served two discontinuous terms. That way we dont need to debate which was the worst President ever, they can share the title. |
| Posted by: Rjschwarz 2012-05-26 15:30 |
| #10 Anyone who votes for him now is a true believer or just fucking stupid. Yup. And what percentage of the electorate doesn't fall in those categories? |
| Posted by: Anguper Hupomosing9418 2012-05-26 15:24 |
| #9 Even if Mitt had a double-digit lead in the polls, the below still applies: Don't forget that we almost always have to go to the UK newspapers to see stories like this one. The American MSM - print, broadcast, cable and online - has abandoned any pretense of objectivity and is essentially the agitprop arm of the Obama campaign. Evan Thomas's boast that the MSM can deliver 15 extra percentage points to the Dems isn't at all off the mark, since a distressingly high percentage of ordinary Americans still get all their political news from MSM outlets...it's mainly obsessives like us who are always wandering far afield for our info fix :-) |
| Posted by: Ricky bin Ricardo (Abu Babaloo) 2012-05-26 13:18 |
| #8 However,any country stupid enough to elect Zero once is stupid enough to re-elect him. Not stupidity. Naivety. After 8 years of terrorist war and a souring economy some voters jumped at a fresh start, optimism and the chance to vote to make history with a black president. Now however, that naivety has been scoured away with more war, a depression, massive debt and a haughty elitist attitude. Anyone who votes for him now is a true believer or just fucking stupid. Most independents have soured on Mr. Hopenchange and are leaning toward Mr. Paidthefuckingbills |
| Posted by: DarthVader 2012-05-26 11:11 |
| #7 I'm gonna play devil's advocate and be the optimist here. Americans was stupid to elect him once. But Americans don't like to feel stupid twice. |
| Posted by: RandomJD 2012-05-26 10:39 |
| #6 the prospect of Barack Obama having any re-election chances at all is indeed disconcerning. I agree. However,any country stupid enough to elect Zero once is stupid enough to re-elect him. That was/is/will be truly disconcerting. |
| Posted by: Anguper Hupomosing9418 2012-05-26 09:54 |
| #5 Know whats hawt right now? Golf, think Mr. O needs a round or two, show who is who among the plebes. Oh, and Mitt is one of those elitist one percenter somavabiches like George Washington. Where's my beer pong bracket? |
| Posted by: swksvolFF 2012-05-26 09:25 |
| #4 err..fed |
| Posted by: Procopius2k 2012-05-26 08:54 |
| #3 B' that's an induced memory loss feed by the NEA and MSM. Why do you think they killed real history in schools in order to |
| Posted by: Procopius2k 2012-05-26 08:53 |
| #2 Quite honestly, for those loving freedom and the Republic, the prospect of Barack Obama having any re-election chances at all is indeed disconcerning. The presidencies of Roosevelt....whom appeared to desire holding the office forever, that of Carter, and now of Obama would lead one to suspect we as a nation are subject to roughly 30 year lapses of memory. I am praying we will survive this one. |
| Posted by: Besoeker 2012-05-26 06:58 |
| #1 If people perceive a bleaker future than they should, then all that Obama needs to do is to correct their misperception and it will look like he has improved the economy. Perception is reality, and timing is everything. |
| Posted by: Glenmore 2012-05-26 06:15 |