What a shame there’s no R competition for O. That will make him double down on his bad behavior in the next 2 years.

Based on media attention just how many people outside of political junkies like us even know who Mitt, Newt or Huckabee are?
Sarah is the only GOPer running for President who gets any media attention.

We need to Primary him:)

Obama Still Leading All Republican Candidates

Obama is the leading Republican candidate?

Yeah that sounds about right, at the moment.

2012 Poll: Obama Still Leading All Republican Candidates

you know, I think we’d be better off with a republican that the democrats could oppose instead of someone they feel obligated to sign off with

to wit, pelosi is asking democrats to sign off on extending tax cuts for the wealthy, that wouldn’t be happening without a mega concession from a republican president

What no mention of Jeb Bush in the poll? Jeb is connected to the GOP establishment there is no way his name was left out unless his low numbers would make his brother’s new book look bad.
By the way how many bulk sales vs sales to people at book store’s for Bush’s book ?

Huckabee is best at a minus 1? That’s the best they got?

Although looking at the list, yeah, that IS the best they got. Scary thought.

Why did the Dems keep her as Speaker of the House? Worse Speaker most ineffectual at getting things done Speaker ever.

A better number might be media mentions in print and tv for all the candidates plus present and past fund raising for political campaign activity.
Sarah helped how many Tea Baggers win? They as elected officials are all GOP presidential delegates right in theory they can vote for her at the GOP presidential convention and in a close race overturn whoever wins the GOP popular vote right?
The Tea Baggers certainly won’t support many of the GOP candidates BT listed here today.

Huckabee’s favorability comes out best at a net -1 (39/40). He’s followed by Romney at -6 (36/42), Palin at -17 (38/55), and Gingrich at -20 (33/53).

Explain this number Huckabee is the most favorable but is second in the polls? Why

This is great news……for John McCain.

Honestly, I’d rather see that stiff Romney be president rather than Obama. I loathe Obama and all of his dimensions of chess. Oh, and all the Obamabots can ride the fake bandwagon into hell.

I assume you’d rather see Steny Hoyer.

Mike Huckabee, better known as irascible huckster Mr. Haney on TV’s Green Acres…

Judging from his very recent behavior since the elections, he seems to perhaps be interested in acting so much like a republican that voters won’t know which is the GOP candidate…

My uneducated conjecture is that they left JEB out because they want him to be the stealth candidate. After all the rest of the insipid uninspiring GOP “talent” swirls down the drain, they’ll dredge up JEB to loud cheers & acclaim. But we’ll have to wait ‘n see…

When are the Democrats going to catch on that the pubbies are consummate artists as saying it until it is so and use a full court press to show the truth.? Instead of quivering in the corner and governing as though it is so.

At least if Mitt Romney were President, Republicans would be taking the well-deserved flack for passing the Mitt Romney health care plan.

All of the others try to get as much facetime on TV as Fox will allow. Only Sarah Palin has a face that is worth advertising around, even if there is nothing between her ears.

It’s hard to knock off a sitting President. Very hard.

Roosevelt (Teddy) – finished McKinley’s term, re-elected.
Taft – single term, [Roosevelt's independent run]
Wilson – two terms
Harding – Died in office
Coolidge – finished Harding’s term, re-elected
Hoover – single term [Depression]
Roosevelt (FDR) – four terms
Truman – finished FDR’s fourth term, re-elected
Eisenhower – two terms
Kennedy – died in office
Johnson – finished Kennedy’s term, re-elected
Nixon – two terms (resigned). Wallace’s independent run likely a factor in his victory.
Ford – never elected, finished Nixon’s second term. Still, Reagan unable to take the nomination away from him.
Carter – one term [his Presidency was probably an anomaly due to Watergate]
Reagan – two terms
Bush Sr. – one term [Perot's independent run]
Clinton – two terms
Bush Jr. – two terms
Obama – ???

Without a very serious (and probably self-funded (e.g. Bloomberg)) independent campaign, I really don’t see Obama failing to get either the nomination or a second term. If the independent (Bloomberg) grabs mostly Republican votes, Obama coasts to an easy victory. Who is going to seize the D party machinery and defeat Obama in a primary? They would have to be a self-funder. Who?

um, no.

Legislatively speaking (pun intended) she’s the most effective Speaker in decades. It’s hard to be Speaker when you have a president ostensibly of your own party undermining you at every turn, but Pelosi managed to do it.

I, too, will not ever forgive her for taking impeachment off the table, nor will history. But accomplishments as Speaker? Few in my lifetime can match her record.

Russ Feingold should leave the democratic party and run as an independent against obama. I can’t stand the thought of a second term for obama, the fraud.

If Romney could survive the primaries, I honestly think he could give Obama a tight race in the general election. I may not agree with many of Romney’s views (or Obama’s for that matter), but Romney is accomplished – past governor and head of a prestigious global consulting firm. He wouldn’t shoot himself in the foot a la Palin or McCain.

There may be surprise candidates too – like Senator Thune…

All the GOPers will get loads of face time on all of the corporate-owned rightwing media, not just Fox. So-called “Democrats” will have to vye with one another to get any kind of face time at all. It’s the way it goes…

This scenario comports exactly with my gut feeling.

It’s very unlike GOPs to stage a surprise, but I think a wide-open nomination fight at the convention is something they will avoid at all costs. The only question is how to rehabilitate the Bush brand.

But lying consistently on FOX news seems to be their first step.

Two words:

ENTHUSIASM GAP

I agree with you re Romney. Out of the current “crop,” Romney is the most accomplished and has the best “talent” to run for POTUS, not that I care for him a great deal personally. However, Mittens will never make it because he is a Mormon, which is why “they” keep the Grifter around as a contrast. The super-fundy Xtianists hate the Mormons like crazeee.

I wish we would run the same poll comparing obama’s numbers against a democrat like feingold

I agree Obama is a conservative betraying most of the people. However.

There is another perspective from which to view the elections. It just might be that Obama remains ahead in the polls because he is so generally defined as a liberal far left etc. In fact it was the Blue Dogs that were rejected nationally and locally. IMO people vote what they see as character and will vote more for someone ie Republicans, that hold on to a well enunciated set of principles.

What is the difference between a President Obama and a President Romney?

And how could Romney inspire the teabaggers over health care ‘reform’ repeal? Obama continues to brag that he passed RomneyCare. That’s pretty devastating, as far as Obama’s appeal to independents who want less partisanship.

You deserve Romney… You think Obama is bad cause he acts like a Republican (even as THEY say he acts as a socialist?) – you deserve a republican president and congress. The last one gave us 9/11 and two wars and destroyed the economy. Obama gave us a latina on the Supreme court, the most openly gay memebers of any presidential administration, and at least he gave us a shitty healthcare bill as opposed to nothing but tax raises for the rich. I’m not happy with Obama – but the idea that Romney – the sanke – would be better…like I said, you deserve what you got coming…

Never forget the very big surprise of the Grifter at the ReThug Nat’l Convention in 2008… most of us had never heard about her. Talk about a giant surprise! So, the Thugs can be good at stealth candidates when they want to be. JEB is next up, I figure.

I mean tax cuts for the rich…

That is if anyone votes. This guy has turned me off by his lack of leadership, I could never vote for him again. I’m sorry, but if he doesn’t grow a spine, I’m dropping out.

Peace!

Don’t blame the congress’s utter failures on Obama – he signs legislation – they pass it. Obama would’ve signed a single payer option if it had landed on his desk – don’t blame him for a terrible congress filled with conservative democrats -

What is the difference between a President Obama and a President Romney?

Romney would probably be more talented and competent than Obama. That said, Romney’s putative constituents would also be more in agreement with what Romney’s corporate handlers are telling Romney to do, so they’d be more satisfied with his job performance.

That said, I do feel that Romney is more talented than Obama by a long shot… which ain’t saying much.

Yes that would be a great FDL poll:)

I’m still pissed she let Bush run amok with war spending, passed the bank bailout but demanded nothing in return for creating jobs.

and at least he gave us a shitty healthcare bill as opposed to nothing but tax raises for the rich

The scary thing is that “shitty healthcare bill” is not even as good as the bill that Romney signed in MA

Exactly. Romney is a viable candidate, except among fundies, who will simply stay home rather than vote for a Mormon. Without the fundies, the Republicans would have tonnes of money, but no voters.

The interesting question would be a VP candidate specifically tailored to them.

Romney / Huckabee?
Romney / Palin?

That might be enough to turn the tide.

I hear you, but with respect, I disagree about Obama not “having a spine.” Obama has a very strong spine. Obama is standing very very firm and doing exactly & precisely what he WANTS to do and what he INTENDED to do all along. What you heard Obama say during the campaign was all lies. So, imo, Obama’s not lacking in spine. He is, however, totally lacking in: ethics, integrity, values, morals, authenticity, compassion, common sense, etc etc.

Yeah, as president, Obama is just helpless to influence the congress at all.

Those agreements he made with BigPharma and Big Insurance to make sure there was no single payer or public option had nothing at all to do with those components not making it into the final bill – even as he claimed he was in favor of them two months after giving them away in secret meetings.

Yes, Obama is the leading Republican candidate with no Democrats to be found. All Obama is is a more politically correct version of Mitt Romney, but the huge difference being that Barak Romney gets the Democrats to pass things that they’d never pass under Mitt all because he’s got a D by his name.

Steny lost many Blue Dogs he still might have the votes to be Speaker but another election like this well his Blue Dogs lead in Dem losses either Steny gets a clue and changes direction or there will be no more Blue Dogs.
I can live with both possibilities. Steny as Speaker might force Progressives who want to win election to form a third party.

Pretty much like what the DNC did with Obama.

I agree with your idea.

What’s with those goofy Huckabee & Paul smiles? Do all R prez candidates have goofy smiles?

The best comparison I’ve read: Obama is like David Dinkins, former mayor of NY, who was very well meaning but about as ineffective as a politician can be. NYers got so fed up with well meaning nothings they voted in Guiliani, whom almost no one actually liked.

It’s what a sociopath looks like when they are pretending to smile.

I agree with the posters, let Feingold declare himself an Independent and let’s get going now. Oh, I can’t wait for a repeat of the 2000 election when everyone blamed Ralph. Obama, like Gore DID NOT EARN OUR VOTES, so he didn’t get them regardless of the outcome.

Obama is slime, plain and simple. He and Pelosi can ride off in the sunset together. They deserve each other. Their backroom dealing, unwillingness to allow arguments to happen in the open all set the stage for where we stand today.

What idiots deny the Republicans the opportunity to filibuster legislation that helps the people? What sort of idiots make backroom deals in regards to such fundamental needs such as healthcare?

You want this idiot for another term? He has already single handed destroyed the Democratic party. Only fools would vote for him in 2012.

The smart money is on your prediction.

Best explanation I’ve heard.

Never underestimate the power of stupidity. After Obama’s Republican illness, even Palin has a good chance of beating him.

Well, it’s one thing to run a poll with Obama ahead of all these people, it’s another thing to get voter turnout for the Grifter in Chief.

With Obama’s biggest lesson from this first two years that “he was too much of the traditional tax and spend liberal”…..there is no chance he is going to get the base out to vote for him.

So do you I guess with so much praise for Obama.

Real Unemployment stays at 20% or more figure the GOP will have over 50% of the vote and Dems who want jobs and to keep their homes will have nowhere else to turn but an Obama Primary challenger.
Just what Dem will stand with Obama and campaign for him next year if real unemployment stays over 20%?

You failed to mention that Johnson decided against running in 1968. He did not only fail to be reelected, he was a no-show.

What a shame there’s no R competition for O. That will make him double down on his bad behavior in the next 2 years.

Exactly.

Absent a viable primary or third party challenger, the only word that comes to mind is “depressing”.

like I said, you deserve what you got coming…

Okay! Thanks!

I’d rather have a Republican in office promoting conservative policies than a Democrat promoting conservative policies. And the whole “lying about everything I campaigned on” and “fierce advocate” bullshit sticks in my craw.

Interesting statistic in the December Harper’s Index.

Percentage change since 2008 in the number of Jewish Americans who identify themselves as Republicans: +77.

That may have a lot to do with why Feingold and Grayson failed to be reelected.

Honestly, I’d rather see that stiff Romney be president rather than Obama. I loathe Obama and all of his dimensions of chess.

Me, too. Only “loathe” is too weak a word.

Mitt’s business record running a hedgefund is his problem he bought home depot right before the housing market collapsed. He bought Clear Channel the radio home of Rush Limbaugh and then laid off employees.
He sold 2 of his three mansions right after the housing market was destroyed. Nobody sells in a down market like that unless they are hurting for cash.
Mitt’s rep is business his business record is crap.

GOP humor being what it is look at the small number of GOP comedians I’m surprised they know how to smile.

Good call. Gotta watch for the ban hammer though.

Johnson’s “second term” was the 64 election (landslide). He indeed did not run in 68. Could he have won? That was the craziest year in American politics. Would Bobby Kennedy have won if he hadn’t been killed? I think so. Reagan actually had more popular votes than Nixon in the primaries, but Nixon had more delegates. Humphrey lost by 110 electoral votes, but only a half-million popular votes. Could he have won if Wallace didn’t run (9.9 million votes)?

I suspect that Johnson could have won if he had run and Wallace hadn’t run, but there were so many variables that year we’ll never know.

Huckabee should have been the fundy candidate last time he had the most potential to win moderate voters he worried me the most that he could win.
The GOP powers that be never gave him funding and created Sarah the Fundy hate monger out of thin air. I don’t expect Huckabee to get any GOP establishment support.

Independent candidate that appeals to Democrats –> Republican wins
Independent candidate that appeals to Republicans –> Democrat wins

Can Obama be convinced not to run? Not on your life.
Can Obama be successfully primaried? It didn’t even happen with Ford, and I think it would be even harder today.

It’s hard to knock off a sitting President. Very hard.

I agree entirely. Remember that Reagan in 1982 and Clinton in 1994 actually had worse numbers than O has ever had, including recently. And with the popularity numbers the Republicans have, who will they get to beat him? It’s not just that the specific Republican candidates have terrible polling numbers; the Republican Party generically does, too. Even if they pull a rabbit out of a hat, O will make mincemeat of the rabbit, just as he did in 2008 when everyone was blindsided by the Grifter. As a follow-on act to Dubya, even Jeb doesn’t have much of a chance.

Like it or not, we’re stuck with this President clear through to 2016.

Besides the futility of primarying the President, I’m also concerned that it will send the wrong message to the country. They just took out their frustrations (however justified) with O and the Democrats by voting for their own worst enemies. Given the American public’s penchant for biting the hand that feeds them and feeding the mouth that bites them, we don’t want to do anything that will encourage the impression of chaos and division. The last thing we need is a repeat of the 1968 Democratic Convention.

Primarying underperforming Democratic Senators, Representatives, state governors, and state legislators would have no such downside, and (in the right places) might actually have a reasonable chance of success. I would love to see filibuster-lover Dianne Feinstein primaried here in California, even though there’s a good chance I’ll be living in Wisconsin by 2012.

Don’t get me wrong. Romney is a psychopath also. His “funny” story about putting the family dog on top of his station wagon in a dog carrier, and driving for hours on the highway, until a stream of shit from the terrified dog starting leaking down……what can you say about such a person? But Obama has his predator drone strikes and assassinating American citizens while, no doubt, beating off to old Ronald Reagan movies. But I no longer think it matters who is president of this enormous warship, the United States.

If the economy continues to suck and GOP picks Thune, Christie or someone viable (which excludes Willard Romney, Huckster and the Quitter), Obama is toast.

The economy will definitely continue to suck. Will Obama get the blame? Probably, since most people don’t pay close attention and blame whoever is in the WH. Can he successfully blame Republicans?

People are about to get tossed from unemployment? Obama will blame the Republicans. Will it work?

The government will get shut down repeatedly, we may not even get a budget passed for two years. Obama will blame the Republicans. Will it work?

Reagan was ready to Primary Ford he might have won. Reagan was an extreme candidate but while 4 years of Obama and 4 years of Sarah will make us suffer that suffering could get Dennis elected.

If not for Watergate, Reagan could have won in 76 (and without Watergate, Ford would not have been the incumbent).

From wikipedia:

The primary contest between the two men was hard-fought and relatively even; by the start of the Republican Convention in August 1976 the race for the nomination was still too close to call. Ford defeated Reagan by a narrow margin on the first ballot at the 1976 Republican National Convention in Kansas City

“The economy will definitely continue to suck. Will Obama get the blame? Probably, since most people don’t pay close attention and blame whoever is in the WH.”

I’m someone who pays very close attention and Obama is to blame. When people were losing jobs left and right he spent a year on working to pass handouts to PhRMA while ignoring the economy. Now that Obama has stopped ignoring the economy, he wants to exacerbate things with austerity. It is Obama’s Catfood Commission, not the Republicans.

When are the Democrats going to catch on that the pubbies are consummate artists as saying it until it is so and use a full court press to show the truth.? Instead of quivering in the corner and governing as though it is so.

When we catch on. The majority of us haven’t yet. I just shake my head in dismay at poll results that suggest that Democratic voters – not just the politicians, who might have venal motives, but the rank and file – still mostly favor compromise and bipartisanship. Low-information voting isn’t limited to the Tea Party or the Republicans. The polls suggest that large numbers of Democratic voters simply don’t understand what their leaders are up against. Low-information failure to vote (“They’re all a bunch of crooks anyway, what does it matter who gets elected?”) is an even greater problem. There are two simple messages we need to get out there, that could make a new world in the USA if they were really understood:

(1) The Republican Party is the enemy, pure and simple. Not because we want it that way, but because they want it that way.

(2) Things have gotten so bad that it is vital for everyone to be intensely involved in politics all the time. Everyone needs to vote, and everyone needs to be a high-information voter.

Think about it. If the vast majority of eligible voters – not just registered voters – would actually register and vote, the Republicans would be lucky to hold onto places like Utah, Idaho, and South Carolina.

I agree. And the more to the Right Obama goes, the less he stands for anything. I have no clue what he stands for now – other than a deep desire to get re-elected. He may still have many of the voters who voted for him in ’08, but what he is losing quickly are the people who did more than vote for him. They knocked on doors, organized parties, ran caucuses, got out the vote, … And I know I’m not the only person who voted for him in ’08 who would rather write in Elvis’s name than vote for Obama again…

What difference would that make? Seriously. What difference would that make? It’s been obvious since the Dems swarmed into majority in Congress, and now painfully obvious with Obama, that these people are wolves in sheep’s clothing. Repubs evil? You bet! But at least they are honest about their stupidity. Dems f**k everybody up the rear and pretend they are the good guys.

Some further clarification on my first message (“The Republican Party is the enemy, pure and simple”): I just realized that that way of phrasing the message suggests that the Republicans are the only enemy, which is clearly not true. There are plenty of Democrats who are bought and paid for by the corporate bad guys. What I meant is that the Republican Party as an institution is irredeemable, and trying to bargain and compromise with it is useless. We need to work to relegate the Republican Party to the history books – to make it so unpopular that no one wants to be associated with it and it ceases to exist. Likewise for the political philosophy it stands for. Keep in mind that our (institutional and philosophical) demise is already the goal the Republicans seek. We’re in a war, whether we like it or not.

4cdave
you are ignoring one huge fact!
our research shows that african american candidates that run for re-election citywide seldom win
african americans candidate that run for re-election state wide win less than candidates that run citywide

what will probably happen in 2012 is the House and Senate go Dem, and White House goes republican, this is what the elites are praying for.

Obama is done, Obama knows he is done.
Obama needs a lot of energy to get re-elected, he needs FDL type of energy, without that energy he loses.

Another big problem Obama has is the likes of people like Cornel West. Hillary didn’t know how to hurt Obama, you don’t make Obama Malcom X, you make Obama Clarence Thomas, this is what some of our African American associates told us.

Cornel West has already attack Obama on his left flank, which will allow others to attack Obama where it hurts.

Obama campaign was all about energy in 2008, young people, progressives like the ones here at FDL, etc. etc. without that energy he is done.

the MSM will work overtime, lying about Obama strong poll numbers, and how tough he will be to beat in a primary to keep progressive on the side line.
But a smart progressive would ignore all of that foolishness, and make Obama run as a conservative african american candidate, and connect him to Clarence Thomas.

Obama also has to fear, the tea party implosion of the GOP.

This is why, intelligent progressives need to use the Tea Party.

look at the election of 2012 with a Tea Party Candidate involve

Tea Party Ticket Paul/ Palin “conservative”
GOP Ticket Romney / Newt “conservative”
Bloomber Ticket “conservative”
Dem Ticket Obama/Biden “conservative”
Candidate X progressive

Michael Moore and others let this idea slip

Obama also needed the Dems to lose the Senate, because Obama can’t keep acting like the GOP is in total control. (the MSM is trying their best to protect Obama, from this reality, but come February 2011 everyone will know the Dems still control DC.)

Obama wanted to run against DC again, not going to happen.

Once you tie Obama to Clarence Thomas GAME OVER!

have a great day!

It’s been obvious since the Dems swarmed into majority in Congress, and now painfully obvious with Obama, that these people are wolves in sheep’s clothing.

This is exactly why I included the second point (everyone must be highly aware politically), not just the first (the Republican Party is evil). It’s also the reason for the clarification I just posted for the first point (Sebastos@77). Republicans are purely the enemy, but they’re not the only enemy. Greater awareness and involvement on the part of the public can change the character of the Democratic Party. Even the present crop of equivocators would act differently if they saw poll numbers saying that Democratic voters were just as ready to play hardball as Republican voters are – and that the enthusiasm gap was closing. And those who didn’t change would get primaried and thrown out – it’s as simple as that.

Obama can’t beat a ticket like Jeb Bush and Scott Brown in 2012. He’s toast.

Obama can’t win even against Palin. He won’t have the funding to match any of the repugs, and he is unlikely to generate much from his former base.

I’d really like to see a poll of democrats regarding who they’d prefer in 2012–Obama, Feingold, Grayson, or some evilist leftwing third party.

It would be fun to discuss.

Dump the Huck?

Not sure that the repub base would be all that into the weird mormon, healthcare socialist Mitt and his running mate.

At least the repub primaries should be some fun times.

Obama vs Sarah Palin in one-on-one basketball! We want it now!

Yes, he is powerless.
One wonders why he even sought the presidency, it lacks any power at all.

Obama would’ve signed a single payer option if it had landed on his desk

But he made damn sure it would never land on his desk.

I think they’ll be saving Jeb Bush for 2016. The Republicans love the Obama Whitehouse, why would they want him outta there?

Until Americans recognize that both parties are marching to the same neoliberal drumbeat, what’s the difference?

obama is a gutless backstabbing two-faced bum that is more Republican than Democrat, someone please primary agaist him!

Most Conservatives I know want a fresh candidate w/out the baggage. The names I’m hearing are Mitch Daniels, John Thune, Mike Pence, or Chris Christie. The VP will be the “rising star” Marco Rubio.

Obama is now running for the GOP nomination? Excellent.

Works for me.

Only Diebold knows.

Oh give Barry time . . . he’ll get us a Gooper president before he’s done. Maybe even Jeb Bush.

Newsflash: Americans prefer a proven torturer to those that have yet to torture!

I never said he was powerless – though he seems to becoming so – I said he only signs legislation – he doesn’t pass it in the congress. He could’ve used his bully pulpit and pushed for the things we want – but he didn’t. That being said, Blue Dogs and conservative dems in the senate completely undermined the democrats and the president…

Maybe – but if we had a progressive congress, we would’ve got the healthcare Obama promised during the campaign…