Obama victory in 2012

[CJS3]

It depends on the what happens during the Dem primary. Everyone is talking about the Republican primary, but fail to remember that the Dem primary of 1980, made Carter look like he had been in a bitch slap contest with Kennedy. It left a less than favorable impression with the voters and enabled Reagan to win his first term. The Republicans also won the Senate that year, although they lost control in 82.

[Herknav]

(I use the term loosely) Political leaders

Please bear with me as I pick a minor nit.  I realize I am in the minority, but I don't want a lawmaker or a leader.  I want a representative that carries my will to Washington.  Is that too much to ask?

[fightingquaker13]

Please bear with me as I pick a minor nit.  I realize I am in the minority, but I don't want a lawmaker or a leader.  I want a representative that carries my will to Washington.  Is that too much to ask?

Its not too much to ask, but it is the biggest conondrum in American politics. We are a democratic republic. The two words partially contradict each other and lead to an unresolved tension. The question is  this. Are our representatives instructed delegates, like a lawyer or an accountant (the pro-democracy POV)? Or are they leaders who's judgement we trust to set policy for us (the pro-republic POV)? We aim for a middle ground, but what we get (and its not a bad thing, just mesy) is a confused system where we want our leaders to be responsive and in touch, but still able to tell us no on occasion. The media is making it increasingly difficult for them to do the latter.
FQ13

[Herknav]

Interesting analysis.  I guess I lean more toward the "of the people, by the people, and for the people" POV.  I completely reject any notion that Congressfolk are somehow our betters.  I'm trying to think of an instance when I would want the federal government to tell me "no." I guess Congress did that with ObamaCare.  I have a strong Libertarian bent, so I think we should spend more time telling the government "no."  Not doing that has led to poorly restrained gov't and, thus, to our present circumstances.  The last thing I want is to send somebody to Congress and forget about them for 2 or 6 years.

I read an article that attributed the differences in our thinking to urban and rural mindset.  Rural folks tend to want to be left alone and be able do their thing.  City folks have to live in close proximity to each other.  Therefore, they look to make laws and regulations to restrain others "for the greater good."  I'm not anti-government.  I just think the federal government's role should be VERY limited.

[Hazcat]

Here's a MAJOR problem for us;

Romney Wins New Hampshire Republican Party Committee Straw Poll
http://blogs.abcnews.com/thenote/2011/01/romney-wins-new-hampshire-republican-party-committee-straw-poll.html

Romney will NOT win against Ovomit.

[Sponsor]

[Timothy]

Interesting analysis.  I guess I lean more toward the "of the people, by the people, and for the people" POV.  I completely reject any notion that Congressfolk are somehow our betters.  I'm trying to think of an instance when I would want the federal government to tell me "no." I guess Congress did that with ObamaCare.  I have a strong Libertarian bent, so I think we should spend more time telling the government "no."  Not doing that has led to poorly restrained gov't and, thus, to our present circumstances. The last thing I want is to send somebody to Congress and forget about them for 2 or 6 years.

I read an article that attributed the differences in our thinking to urban and rural mindset.  Rural folks tend to want to be left alone and be able do their thing.  City folks have to live in close proximity to each other.  Therefore, they look to make laws and regulations to restrain others "for the greater good."  I'm not anti-government.  I just think the federal government's role should be VERY limited.

Good points....

Without generalizing, I'd bet most people who went to the polls a few months ago, didn't know who their Congressman's name until the months before the election.  I'm always badgering mine, their email addresses are in my contact lists.

"We The People" need to get involved.  I can say, in my own family, my wife and daughter have no idea who their Congresscritter is or their Senators.  Where I work, I see pretty much the same thing.  

The people who are chartered to listen to us are our Congresspersons and we can replace the bums every two years.  Here in CT, they gave all five of them their jobs back even though it's been proven they failed in those jobs miserably.

[crusader rabbit]

Odamna may not have such an easy time of it in 2012.  On Face the Nation this morning, Florida's own Alan Grayson was quoted as saying he would run for the Dummycrap presidential nomination.  If you listen to Grayson for more than a minute or two, you can tell he's an absolutely certifiable nut-case--but the looney-left seem to love him.  And, I think some of the other ultra-lefties may have a go at Odamna if he doesn't stick to his socialist agenda.  And, if he does veer back to the left, the majority of America will reject him.  We are, after all, a center-right kind of nation.

I hope I am not being a pollyanna, but I think there is a chance we can dump this load in 2012.  But I agree with Haz that we need a viable candidate.  I kind of like Herman Caine, but he isn't well enough known.  (sigh)

Crusader

[Timothy]

True, it would be a blessing to have a viable candidate but once you separate the wheat from the chaff, there really aren't any!

I've said before, I'll vote for a high functioning moron over a democrat any day.  I really don't much care what his grades were in college or if he wears two left shoes.  The 2012 election cycle should be about maintaining the House and getting back the Senate.

Self serving dirtbags, all of them!

Stop writing laws that only serve the government.

[tombogan03884]

Interesting analysis.  I guess I lean more toward the "of the people, by the people, and for the people" POV.  I completely reject any notion that Congressfolk are somehow our betters.  I'm trying to think of an instance when I would want the federal government to tell me "no." I guess Congress did that with ObamaCare.  I have a strong Libertarian bent, so I think we should spend more time telling the government "no."  Not doing that has led to poorly restrained gov't and, thus, to our present circumstances.  The last thing I want is to send somebody to Congress and forget about them for 2 or 6 years.

I read an article that attributed the differences in our thinking to urban and rural mindset.  Rural folks tend to want to be left alone and be able do their thing.  City folks have to live in close proximity to each other.  Therefore, they look to make laws and regulations to restrain others "for the greater good."  I'm not anti-government.  I just think the federal government's role should be VERY limited.

The problem with FQ's analysis is that we ARE NOT a "Democratic" Republic, but a "Constitutional Republic". In a Democratic Republic the majority vote makes the rules, under a Constitutional Republic there are defined limits on what the majority can do.

I agree with you about the split between Urban and Rural, Country folks have to do for themselves while city people develop a hive mentality, that is one of the things that got Obummer elected, the small portions of the states that he actually carried were the major population centers.
Government is the one business where increased productivity is a BAD thing.

[kilopaparomeo]

Easy.  The blue areas have all of the population.

As far as Ovomit in 2012.  He's a shoo-in if the Repubs run the same old candidates (Gingrich, Romney, Huckabee, etc.).

Truer words never spoken, Haz.  And that's what I fear they will do.  Trot out the same old crap.

Frankly, I'm liking the Paul Ryan, Mitch Daniels, Michelle Bachmann's of the world.  Just don't know if they are electable.