@Finn dAbuzz,
Quote:
You guys keep telling us what a good position Obama is in and what a lousy position the Republicans are in. I'm glad you're so confident but it sounds like whistling past the graveyard to me.
I don't feel he is in a good position, but I think he's in a better position than the eventual Republican nominee will be.
If you look at the results of the poll from the NYT article I posted, the sentiments of most Americans reflect an anti-Tea Party, anti-Republican attitude on issues of taxing the very wealthy and wanting to see better distribution of wealth, since the Republicans and the Tea Party oppose moves in those directions. In that regard, any Republican can be portrayed by Obama as being out of touch with middle class and working class America, and the deep dissatisfaction those people are feeling. And, since Romney has made statements to the effect that the housing market should be allowed to bottom out, including continuing foreclosures, it should be easy, and not inaccurate, to portray that as being out of touch and rather heartless concerning the financial problems of a struggling middle class.
Quote:
With nearly all Americans remaining fearful that the economy is stagnating or deteriorating further, two-thirds of the public said that wealth should be distributed more evenly in the country. Seven in 10 Americans think the policies of Congressional Republicans favor the rich. Two-thirds object to tax cuts for corporations and a similar number prefer increasing income taxes on millionaires.
On Tuesday, the Congressional Budget Office released a new study concluding that income distribution had become much more uneven in the last three decades, a report that could figure prominently in the battle over how to revive the economy and rein in the federal debt.
Traditionally, the Republicans also attack the Democrats as being weak on national security and defense, and we saw the Republicans play the terrorist card in the last few elections. But Obama really isn't vulnerable on that score, and he'll be sure to remind everyone of that.
So, I don't think Obama is in a good position, because people feel frustrated by the slow economic recovery, and generally fed up and angry with government, but I do think he's in a better position than any of the potential Republican candidates. And the fact that none of the Republican candidates seems to be generating sustained excitement and support, helps Obama, although that may change once the Republicans settle on a candidate. But, if the candidate is Romney, I can't see him enthusing the right-wing conservative social issues voters, so it would depend on his appeal to more moderate Republicans and independents. And I am personally baffled by the increasing appeal of Herman Cain, simply because the man has never held elective office, and I think that lack of experience would certainly work against him in the general election. At the moment, Cain might be appealing simply because he "sounds good", but he offers nothing to show that he is actually prepared to function in the office of President--sitting behind the desk in the oval office really isn't the same as running a pizza company.
And, should the economy, or the jobs situation, start to perk up before election day, that would be a gift for Obama, and perhaps the only one he'll need to win re-election, because then the idea of changing horses mid-stream might not appeal to a lot of a people. But I certainly don't feel confident about that happening.
