I’m surprised to be the first to have a crack at this.
Obama has my vote at this point. I’m kind of fond of him really. Let me be clear: it is fully possible that I would vote against Obama, should a better candidate appear. Let me strain to be as clear as possible: from the POV of this amateur philosopher, today’s GOP is such a suckfest that I expect their nomination process to be nothing short of a laff riot. I am not expecting a viable candidate, let alone a superior one.
Maybe the GOP is saving all their ammo for 2016. They have a lot of discipline and that would actually make sense; wait until they have a chance. Every single member of the GOP appears a bald-faced liar in the wake of Scott Walker’s fiasco in Wisconsin, let alone their relentless pandering to absurdities unnumbered. Another four years to work on their credibility would do them good. Frankly I think it will take them at least eight, very possibly more.
Their results in the midterms would suggest otherwise. I think the GOP will be in a difficult position in 2012 and I think you’ve highlighted the biggest problem, which is the candidates. (The economy also appears to be getting on track.) They may have losers but they’ll make an effort to win. The election is still a year and a half away and a lot of things can happen, so it would be stupid not to make the effort. You can’t save a candidate that long. Some people thought they threw the 2008 election and that was equally implausible.
Primaries and general elections are different things, but that hasn’t necessarily hurt them to this point. They’ve had some luck getting absurdities on the table as options.
At this point, I expect to vote for Obama as well. I voted for him last time and unless I see someone who strikes me as smarter and more reasonable run, I will vote for him again.
The more serious minded Republican candidates who are considering a run right now aren’t impressing me much, and the nuttier ones are downright scary. Our country has far too many big and complicated problems that need attention for me to consider any but the most sober candidate.
Also, if the current budget bruhaha ends in a shutdown, there’s no way they’ll be able to deflect blame for it. Not after the teevee shows clip after clip of hardcore GOP freshmen taking credit for the shutdown to cheering peanut galleries of Tea-Aide drinkers.
Probably. But when it’s voting time, will people care about a potential shutdown in early 2011? Will some of them feel it was worth it if it brings about spending cuts? And will they remember how upset they were about the Wisconsin thing? If Obama makes those into campaign issues, it’ll help him, but there’s no guarantee that’s what will be on people’s minds in summer and fall 2012.
Well thanks. I’m really not categorically opposed to the GOP. However, they have pretty much sucked my entire adult life, and 2012 is no different. Worse actually.
True. But I think it gives Obama so much ammo that he will mow down any GOP candidate with ease.
I was listening to Rachel Maddow tonight… you wouldn’t believe some of the riders the GOP has put on the budget bill. It’s really no wonder there is no compromise possible. Things like limiting Obama’s powers as commander in chief, gutting the EPA such that coal dust cannot be declared hazardous, making it impossible to shut down Gitmo… they’ve really pulled out the stupid. Americans have short attention spans, but these things will define them for some.
I swear it is getting bad enough that I am thinking of unregistering as a republican and reregistering independant or democrat. [normally I don’t care, but I am getting ashamed of confessing to be a registered republican]
This is getting ridiculously stupid. There is so much dog in a manger/passive aggressive bullshit going on that they are fucking the governments ability to function on a day to day basis. Supposedly our government was designed to function despite short term idiocy in the members [which is why we have short terms for various types of representatives and a term limit on the president]
I’ve been pretty disappointed with Obama, but I don’t see anyone I’m more likely to vote for. He’s certainly not going to get a serious challenge from the left.
Hm. Another candidate, maybe. Obama? When has he, in his entire tenure, used any ammunition at his disposal?
Don’t get me wrong. I’m going to pull the lever for Obama, and believe he will somewhat handily beat whichever Tea Party sycophant the Republicans ultimately nominate, but I’m confident it won’t be because of anything Obama actually does.
By the way, I won’t be so much voting for Obama as voting against the crazy.
He won’t get any challenge from the left. Why do folks believe this is a possibility? What Democrat challenged Clinton’s second term? What Republican challenged Bush-the-Lesser’s second term?
This is exactly what happened to me… in 2006. I was just raising my tiny flag to let the the Republicans know I was unhappy with the way they were handling things and they were losing my support. Now I am actively ashamed of many of them- the pandering, manipulation, misrepresentation by some of them … it’s just shameful and I can’t support it.
I’ve been registered Independent for 20 years. But I’ve realized that I actually am opposed to the GOP. I won’t vote for their candidates again- they’ve blown it. I am going to change my registration to Democratic (mostly so I can caucus), and hope for maybe a lefty 3rd or 4th party to pull a little more in that direction.
I’ve never been really good at deep research into politics. I voted GOP because that was the power in my district–until they nominated W Bush for what I thought were stupid & offensive reasons.
I look at the GOP now & I can’t countenance going back. W was a warmonger & fiscal loony, but at least he wasn’t a racist; most GOP pols I can’t even grant that. They’re warmongers, fiscal loonies, and play the nativist. So turns out that I like the guy I left the party rather than vote for better than the party. Imagine that.
It is still true that things could change before November '12. At his next State of the Union, Obama could roll his eyes up into his head and scream a barking mad rant of crazy predictions about the coming apocalypse in 2012, punctuated only by the repeated vomiting of nails, broken glass and barbed wire. Then, why it would be time to take a close look at the independents.
But not the GOP. Because that is actually a pretty good description of my image of the GOP right now, possessed as they are by the various Mammons of their billionaire and corporate sponsors, sacrificing their children (we constituents) in some moronic religious trance.
I wonder if these guys are even capable of intellectual honesty anymore. Global warming doesn’t exist- really? Obama’s birth certificate isn’t valid- really? We can’t raise taxes on the rich because we need to cut funding for planned parenthood, NPR, and, oh, all of public education- really? The military budget can’t be cut, not even the shit that the goddamn fucking Pentagon itself says should be cut- really!?!?!?!?
There isn’t a fucking end to their incompetence, duplicity, and steaming heaps of horseshit! Whomever is dragging their balls across Boehner’s face ought to slap him with them :mad: