# Democrats and Liberals, Who Do You Want to be the Next Republican President?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democrats-and-liberals-who-do-you-want-to-be-the-next-republican-president/556570>\
**Category:** Great Debates\
**Created:** [October 9, 2010, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democrats-and-liberals-who-do-you-want-to-be-the-next-republican-president/556570 "2010-10-09T03:11:32Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 7

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**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\
**Post date:** [October 12, 2010, 1:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democrats-and-liberals-who-do-you-want-to-be-the-next-republican-president/556570/121 "2010-10-12T13:05:24Z")

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> [@New\_Deal\_Democrat](#):
>
> As of this writing, Gallup has Obama’s approval rating at 46%. The unemployment rate is 9.6.%. During the November 1982 election Reagan’s approval rating was 44%. The unemployment rate was 10.8%. Nevertheless, Reagan was reelected by a landslide, and transformed the United States.

Reagan did not run for re-election in 1982.

Regards,  
Shodan

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**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\
**Post date:** [October 12, 2010, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democrats-and-liberals-who-do-you-want-to-be-the-next-republican-president/556570/122 "2010-10-12T15:25:17Z")

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> [@Shodan](#):
>
> > [@New\_Deal\_Democrat](#):
> >
> > As of this writing, Gallup has Obama’s approval rating at 46%. The unemployment rate is 9.6.%. During the November 1982 election Reagan’s approval rating was 44%. The unemployment rate was 10.8%. Nevertheless, Reagan was reelected by a landslide, and transformed the United States.
> 
> Reagan did not run for re-election in 1982.
> 
> Regards,  
> Shodan

No, you didn’t “regard”; you utterly missed his point. He was comparing the numbers at Reagan’s first midterm to what is now Obama’s first (possibly last, if he loses in 2012) midterm. Reagan had worse numbers and won firmly in 1984, so numbers alone are no gauarantee.

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**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\
**Post date:** [October 12, 2010, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democrats-and-liberals-who-do-you-want-to-be-the-next-republican-president/556570/123 "2010-10-12T18:22:35Z")

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Clinton also lost both houses of Congress during his first midterm in '94, yet handily beat Dole for reelection in '96.

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**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\
**Post date:** [October 12, 2010, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democrats-and-liberals-who-do-you-want-to-be-the-next-republican-president/556570/124 "2010-10-12T18:33:42Z")

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> [@Chronos](#):
>
> While it can be viscerally satisfying to see someone like Palin squashed like a bug (as I believe she would be, if she went up against Obama), intellectually, I think it’s best for the country overall if each side puts their best candidate forward.

There’s also the danger that the candidate you think will be squashed like a bug will actually win. If Bush II can get into the Presidency then any moron can if he or she has the right connections.

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**Author:** ![SteveG1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@SteveG1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SteveG1)\
**Post date:** [October 12, 2010, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democrats-and-liberals-who-do-you-want-to-be-the-next-republican-president/556570/125 "2010-10-12T20:15:13Z")

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> [@Der\_Trihs](#):
>
> There’s also the danger that the candidate you think will be squashed like a bug will actually win. If Bush II can get into the Presidency then any moron can if he or she has the right connections.

And that’s pretty damn scary.

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