Possibility of Obama being challenged in 2012?

[Predicto]

I expect Obama to be challenged from the left. Despite what Glenn Beck tells you, Obama has beem pretty moderate so far, certainly not nearly as liberal/left as those people hoped he would be.

The challenge won't be successful, but it will come.

[Thiebear]

Should be mandatory that both side attempt to run.

Keeping power should not be the rule.

[Teller]

Despite what Glenn Beck tells you...

My grandmother doesn't use her walker as much as you guys use the Beck/FOX crutch.

[Burgold]

What's interesting is that the country in many ways has improved a lot under his stewardship. We're in a much much better place than we were two years ago. Now, I can't say that was because of his stewardship, but orders and buying is up, foreclosures are down, employment remains miserable, but everything else (at least numberswise) seemes to be the upswing.

I think the interesting thing about Obama is that everyone expected him to be dynamic, but he's just been very steady, and methodical. In doing so, he has reached a resolution on many of his campaign promises. Certainly, not in the incarnation I would have preferred and probably not in the way he would have preferred best either, but getting it done counts a bunch.

The area I think he lacks is that he is not a good rallier. Perhaps, not a good leader. He should have been able to kick Congress' ass better and get them to follow his lead. Instead, he seems to want to work with others and nudge from behind versus taking up the bayonet and leading the charge. I'm not sure if he can or will change this. Overall though, I'd give him about a B right now for his first two years which is a much better grade than I'd give our last President.

Jindal is interesting. So far fate has handed him too big opportunities. He flubbed horribly the rebuttal to the President. Now, he's the governor to face off against this BP disaster. If he navigates it well he gets Rudy G. kind of love and he'll be a hero.

[19Skins72]

Romney is too liberal. A flip flopper who changes positions to suit whatever he runs for. That MA healthcare will be smashed on his head.

You are both right imo. The religious right won't support him since he is a Mormon, and the fiscal conservatives won't support him because of the MA health care plan.

A Palin nomination would surprise me. Historically you have to do your time with the GOP before you get that kind of nod, and I also am not convinced that she even wants to run. These days I see her more as a savvy (gulp) businesswoman earning a living discussing politics in much the same way that Rush does.

Getting back on track, I don't think Obama can be seriously challenged in 2012 so long as the economy continues to slowly improve - I do think the GOp can make it far closer than last time though.

[mcsluggo]

Romney is too liberal. A flip flopper who changes positions to suit whatever he runs for. That MA healthcare will be smashed on his head.

I fully expect the Republicans to go right, not center. What you are seeing now will even be more amplified during the 2012 season. All the tea party is, is the purification of the Republican to make sure they are to the right and conservative. Last thing they will do is nominate a wish washy candidate like Romney.

How successful do you think that will be in the general election?

[warriorz]

hahahaha.... noones beating Obama in an election.

[SkinsHokieFan]

President Obama will easily win re-election

Nobody on the D side will challenge him. OFA is already setting up the re-election apparatus nation wide

He will cruise to victory

[SkinsHokieFan]

It's gonna be someone we're not talking about right now. All of the names currently being suggested are borderline awful, save Pawlenty, and I'd describe him as average at best.

Remember when Hillary was already the Democratic nominee in 2006? The next Republican candidate is out there. We just don't know who he/she is yet.

Its my hope and prayer that its Gary Johnson. But the odds of that are about the same odds as Albert Hayesworth doing something "voluntary" this offseason

[Ax]

If Obummer leaves the door even slightly open, Hillary, will storm through like a fat man at a free all you can eat buffet.

[The Evil Genius]

If Obummer leaves the door even slightly open, Hillary, will storm through like a fat man at a free all you can eat buffet.

I would be more worried about the tp'ers splintering the GOP.

edited for content.

[Kilmer17]

I would be more worried about the tea baggers splintering the GOP.

If it's okay to call people teabaggers, is it okay to call Hillary a carpetlicker? Or Obama a di(klicker?

It's offensive and yet allowed here. I dont get it.

[Chicken Fried]

What's interesting is that the country in many ways has improved a lot under his stewardship. We're in a much much better place than we were two years ago. Now, I can't say that was because of his stewardship, but orders and buying is up, foreclosures are down, employment remains miserable, but everything else (at least numberswise) seemes to be the upswing.

I think the interesting thing about Obama is that everyone expected him to be dynamic, but he's just been very steady, and methodical. In doing so, he has reached a resolution on many of his campaign promises. Certainly, not in the incarnation I would have preferred and probably not in the way he would have preferred best either, but getting it done counts a bunch.

The area I think he lacks is that he is not a good rallier. Perhaps, not a good leader. He should have been able to kick Congress' ass better and get them to follow his lead. Instead, he seems to want to work with others and nudge from behind versus taking up the bayonet and leading the charge. I'm not sure if he can or will change this. Overall though, I'd give him about a B right now for his first two years which is a much better grade than I'd give our last President.

Jindal is interesting. So far fate has handed him too big opportunities. He flubbed horribly the rebuttal to the President. Now, he's the governor to face off against this BP disaster. If he navigates it well he gets Rudy G. kind of love and he'll be a hero.

Yes, $13 trillion in debt and rapidly increasing, a government mandate on healthcare, and the push for anti-capitalist cap and trade all combine as a whopping success.

Jindal would be a horrible candidate. In his response to Obama, he talked to us like we were graduating from elementary school. Romney is too liberal and is too much of a New England pretty boy. That train crashed after John Kerry in my opinion.

I really want a libertarian-leaning candidate for the Republican Party. Other than repealing healthcare and preventing other monstrosities from being passed like cap and trade, we need more of an ideology change as a nation than any specific bills to be passed. We need to retreat (if possible - I'm scared it's not) from the feds controlling everything and moving toward more state control. The government has become too big. WAY too big. Like I say, if our Founding Fathers saw what our government has evolved into (the fault of both Democrats and Republicans), they would roll over in their graves. I would support candidates like Ron Paul and Mike Huckabee. I think the 2012 election will revolve around the debate of how big the federal government should be.

[Chicken Fried]

If it's okay to call people teabaggers, is it okay to call Hillary a carpetlicker? Or Obama a di(klicker?

It's offensive and yet allowed here. I dont get it.

I've been saying this for months. You would think people would show more class, but several people say it all the time on here. This is blatantly against the rules.

5. Please be respectful of your fellow members.

Upon registering, every member agrees to not post inappropriate material or topics. This includes content which is knowingly false, defamatory, deceptive, inaccurate, racist, insulting, abusive, inflammatory, vulgar, hateful, obscene, profane, sexually graphic, or physically threatening. It also includes posting anything invasive of another member's personal privacy outside of their posted content on ES, or in violation of any law including any stalking or otherwise harassing any member. Such material connected to the poster's life beyond what they willingly post on ES is a particularly serious violation.

[JimboDaMan]

If it's okay to call people teabaggers, is it okay to call Hillary a carpetlicker? Or Obama a di(klicker?

It's offensive and yet allowed here. I dont get it.

If people could lay off the business of "obummer" and "teabagger" we'd be better off.

[Kilmer17]

If people could lay off the business of "obummer" and "teabagger" we'd be better off.

Agreed. But the term teabagger is an explicit sexual reference. If I type **********, it gets filtered. teabagger is no different in terms of vulgarity.

[The Evil Genius]

I made the change - didn't know it hurt anyone's feelings here.

Sorry.

[Kilmer17]

No feelings hurt. Just think we should apply the rules equally.

[War Paint]

Ron Paul! Unfortunately, he'd bring too much sanity.

I would love it if it was Ron Paul, but no way will the establishment allow that. If you want to have a clue on who will probably get it, see who belongs to the CFR and/or has ties to Harvard and Yale, and has some relationship to a bank or financial firm such as Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan, etc..

In other words, it really doesn't matter if an establishment republican wins the whole thing, we'll still have expanding wars, growing government, and the Patriot Act.

[War Paint]

I expect Obama to be challenged from the left. Despite what Glenn Beck tells you, Obama has beem pretty moderate so far, certainly not nearly as liberal/left as those people hoped he would be.

The challenge won't be successful, but it will come.

Pretty moderate? lol, that's funny. He's Bush on steroids.

[Wrong Direction]

There are no shortages of candidates, and a couple that I think could bring the party together.

Mitt Romney - the current leader, but probably won't stand up to scrutiny either from the fiscal conservative or social conservative side. He's been mostly consistent since he flip flopped on several positions though. lol. Certainly not my favorite.

Tim Pawlenty - He's an insider's outsider...the next guy in line, so to speak. I don't know much about him, but he's prominent and from a swing state, so he's somewhat attractive, while still being mostly unknown.

Bobby Jindal - He badly flubbed the presidential response a while ago, but this is his second chance. If he really does use substance to turn the BP controversy into Obama's Katrina, he could regain prominence. It doesn't hurt that he can articulate health policy better than any other candidate.

Paul Ryan - Fiscal conservatives will love this guy. He's Harvard educated and very articulate. He's also been the most successful individual in rebutting both Obama's healthcare and financial reforms. It doesn't hurt that he's drafted a plan to fix our long term debt problems in a time where debt is skyrocketing. He might be too substantive, if that makes sense, but he's a very attractive candidate.

Chris Christie - Capturing the imagination of Republicans everywhere. He articulates conservative economic philosophy in relation to policy as well as anyone out there. An effective prosecutor who's not afraid to take on the special interests and who won in NJ. He's another very attractive candidate.

Sarah Palin - Here's one guy who's hoping that the field isn't so packed that she can get by with a small % of the vote. That's her only chance, and it would be bad for America.

Mike Huckabee - Like Palin, he gets by on his appeal to the social right. He's not really a fiscal conservative. Like Palin, I hope he has no shot.

[Burgold]

Agreed. But the term teabagger is an explicit sexual reference. If I type **********, it gets filtered. teabagger is no different in terms of vulgarity.

It's funny. I'm 40 years old and in some ways such an innocent. I don't think I ever heard the term teabagger used as a sexual reference (I have in the last month or three buy offended members of the Tea Party, but never before that) Tea bagger made sense as a descriptor when I heard it and I thought nothing perjorative... if anything I thought it was like teatotaler.

Was the term/is the term really commonly used in the modern English idiom?

[Wrong Direction]

It's funny. I'm 40 years old and in some ways such an innocent. I don't think I ever heard the term teabagger used as a sexual reference (I have in the last month or three buy offended members of the Tea Party, but never before that) Tea bagger made sense as a descriptor when I heard it and I thought nothing perjorative... if anything I thought it was like teatotaler.

Was the term/is the term really commonly used in the modern English idiom?

Yes. Teabagger is mostly used by kids, men soliciting hookers and porn stars.

It became a popular term when I was in high school in the early 90's.

[19Skins72]

The fact that he gave Mass. Obamacare before Obama gave us Obamacare will be enough to turn off any actual conservative.

It certainly makes it harder for him to appear to be a fiscal conservative, it eliminates his ability to effectively attack Obamacare, and his being a Mormon is sadly quite the issue for many on the religious right.

I see him coming in number two at the primary, and these three reasons will be his complete undoing.

[Predicto]

the push for anti-capitalist cap and trade ...

preventing other monstrosities from being passed like cap and trade...

I am curious to understand why you think that cap and trade is "anti-capitalist." The idea came from the Republicans, applying theories of Ronald Coase and other associates of Milton Friedman at the University of Chicago. It was first used by the George Bush Senior administration to control emissions of sulfer dioxide, and it proved very effective.

The purpose of cap and trade is to unleash the power of the free market onto the issue of controlling pollution. What could be more capitalist than that?