re: #1 Bobibutu

With the near future poised to make 2008 look like a mild financial downturn (Euro tanking will take out U.S. Banks and brokerage houses as well), plus OWS, Obama has the opportunity to do something great, make a profound mark in history and win by a landslide. I hope he does - I think the political will to act and risk at that level is lacking.

The problem is that he is hamstrung by a GOP Congress whose only guiding principle is a commitment to obstruct anything the President proposes in order to prevent his reelection. The main thing the President has going for him is that the GOP base is so hostile to the only electable candidate running for their party’s nomination, they may yet select a candidate clearly unqualified for the job, though events of the last week seem to be clearing Romney’s path for him.