re: #26 sliv_the_eli

All joking aside, the poll points to something real, namley that the American voter is ready to vote for a reasonable Republican candidate. Unfortunately for the Republican Party, and possibly for the nation, the Republican Party has reacted to their loss in 2008 in mirror image to how the Democrats reacted to their loss in 2000. In both instances, the party was in such deep denial about he mere possiblity that the winning candidate was actually appealing to the voters that it wrongly concluded that the loss resulted from its candidate presenting as a moderate. For the Dems post-2000, that meant Howard Dean as DNC chair and a move to the left that contributed to President Bush’s re-election in 2004. For the Repubs post-2008, that has meant a disavowal of any member of the party who even suggests moderation in anything and a push for to the right. If they do not get their act together, President Obama will win re-election by default, regardless of whether the public would like to see a viable alternative candidate.

I think Obama’s electoral chances are going to depend a lot of what happens in the next 3 weeks. Bad economies kill presidencies, no matter how likeable or favorable the incumbent may be. If the GOP’s crazies get their ways, either by Obama folding and agreeing to a slash-and-burn debt ceiling deal, or we default and the economy takes a nose-dive, it doesn’t matter how much blame the GOP takes, they will still be able to say “Hey, we’re not the ones in charge!”