It was Rand Rover, and it was 15-1. Thread here.
Let’s talk in a year’s time.
I am tempted to take this bet since I have a horrible record of winning such things, but, also knowing my luck, this is what would cause me to break that streak. 
Waiting to see if any real takers do show up.
He better get his butt to Wisconsin soon though if he wants to keep his base.
Ed Schultz railed on him last night after this exchange at the White House:
- Q On the Wisconsin – I’m sorry, on the Wisconsin situation, Congressman Ellison and others have called for the President to come out to Wisconsin and stand with the workers. Is that under discussion?
MR. CARNEY: Not that I’m aware of, Chip. I think what we have made pretty clear is that the President thinks and we think, he’s stated this, that obviously a lot of states in the union are dealing with fiscal issues, big problems in their state budgets that need to be addressed. And they need to act responsibly, tighten their belts, live within their means, just as we in Washington, the executive branch and Congress need to do with our federal situation.
Q And forgive me --
MR. CARNEY: But again, he believes very strongly that the way to achieve that, just like the way to achieve it here, is that people need to come to the table, work together, share the sacrifice, and produce the result that the people in the states want and, again, extrapolating to the larger picture here, the whole country -- do the things that we need to do to live within our means so that we can invest in the future, and I think that’s true on a state level.
Q And forgive me if I’m being redundant, I missed much of yesterday’s briefing. But you’ve been asked about what he said about joining the picket lines back in 2007 when he said, “**If American workers are being denied their right to organize when I’m in the White House, I will put on a comfortable pair of shoes and I will walk on that picket line with you as President of the United States.**” Is he ready to put on a comfortable pair of shoes and fulfill that promise?
MR. CARNEY: **I think, Chip, that the President, as President, has a -- obviously an ability to be heard when he speaks, and he spoke to the situation in Wisconsin and his views on it last week. And I’ll leave it at that.**
Q And I know you weren’t with him at the time, but do you think he meant that when he said it? Is that a promise?
MR. CARNEY: I wasn’t with him at the time, but again, I think that the President has different means of speaking out on issues and being heard, and clearly he did -- he made his viewpoints known on the situation in Wisconsin, the need for people to come together. He takes very seriously the fiscal situation that the states find themselves in -- some of the states -- and understands it because he understands it at the federal level. But he encourages the parties involved to come together and sacrifice together and reach a solution that serves the interests of all the people of the states, just like he’s trying to do for the broader nation.
Q Thanks. *
Bolding mine.
I agree with Schultz and think he really needs to keep that promise - I love Obama, but he really needs to use the bully pulpit a lot more effectively. He needs stop the ‘governing’ mode and turn on the ‘campaign’ mode and start rallying his supporters, or 2012 may be a repeat of 2010 and not 2008 - and this country will be screwed beyond belief.
Congressional ‘leadership’ has been too damn quiet also. But that is another thread and/or bet.
I must agree.
The finances have been orchestrated to heavily favor the Repubs. Citizens United gives corporate Repubs a huge edge. Now the Repub, governors are involved in major union busting. If they succeed, the Dems will lose their ally. I wonder how the Repubs will stop internet donations? This whole mess is political. I think the Dems are haded for a difficult fight.
Yes, it’ll be more difficult after Obama. Not now, though. Obama’s sitting on a billion dollars. Wouldn’t that be crazy to see a 2 billion dollar election cycle? When will this madness end?
The next election is expected to break 2 billion.
I know what you’re driving at, but I’m not betting more than a hundred bucks.
If we see the predicted $5/gallon gas while we still have ~ 10% unemployment, a whole lot more politicians than Obama are going to face reelection doubts when the economy spirals rapidly downward again. As it is, things are too uncertain to predict the state of the economy in 2012, and isn’t that the issue that generally keeps presidents from being reeelected? Or, you know, ballsing up an impending civil war, but that won’t happen on Obama’s watch.
I might have taken this bet if he hadn’t abandoned DOMA last week.
Bush got reelected, i doubt anyone would take this bet. The Republican field also does not look very inspiring so far. Even a hardcore Republican has to know an uphill battle when they see one, i’m a hardcore Democrat but i wouldn’t have put any money on them on this past election.
The REpubs have lots of money, they own TV stations ,newspapers and radio stations. They don’t mobilize to run an election but run one 24 hours a day ,everyday. They are nasty and take no prisoners.
Does that mean you’re taking the bet?
Too early. I need to see if the REpub union busting works. The, if it generates a huge backlash as people figure out the rich are after all middle class and poor people, then I might not. There is time.
No shit he’ll get re-elected. Constant/rapid regime changes serve nobody.
I’d only take that bet if someone could guarantee that Sarah Palin wouldn’t be the republican running against him.
I feel that a large part of Obama’s success was the due to effort to get the inner city residents to vote. Now that the first black president has been elected, I do not believe that he will get as large a turnout from people would do not consistently vote in every election.
Older, wealthier, conservative white people are much more likely to vote. I think our next President will be republican.
If by “inner city residents” you mean, “black people”, then no. Obama won 96% of black voters, and turnout among black voters was 2% higher than in 2004, but that extra 2% is 0.25% of all voters, and Obama won by considerably more than that.
:: coughs ::
Care to make it interesting…?