Have Republicans Already Lost the 2012 Presidential Election?

http://www.democratsforprogress.com/2011/05/24/have-republicans-already-lost-the-2012-presidential-election/

I was already thinking along the lines of the title when I got word via “The Hill” that one of Tim Pawlenty’s hometown Minnesota newspapers put the news of Pawlenty entering the Presidential race on its obituaries page. To me, that is the quintessential metaphor for the actions and chances of the Republicans vying to unseat President Obama.

Most of what would have been serious contenders for the Republican nomination have declined to run. On that list is Mike Huckabee, Chris Christie and Mitch Daniels, among others. They seem to understand that beating Obama will be difficult if not impossible, and that the chances would be much better to run in 2016 against a non-incumbent. Every single person currently running for the Republican nomination is unelectable. They are so far from what it would take to be electable that one wonders why they are even bothering or why anyone would donate money to their cause. Let’s run down the list:

more at the above link

No matter how much shit they throw and how many obstacles they put in his way, President Obama is maintaining (most of) his strength. All right, I'll say it -- right now he looks unbeatable for 2012. My prediction: Watch for Jeb to up his visibility early in 2013, to start the groundwork for 2016. I hope the Dems are thinking ahead, too. Dog help us if there's another * in the White House.

is the change in demographics. The problem is twofold: (1) Republican state legislatures redistricting schemes, wiping out Democratic strongholds like Kucinich's district; (2) their dominance in local, state and the lower courts!!! :puke::puke:

All the Democratic big shots skipped the race because a popular post Gulf war Bush I was "unbeatable". A relative unknown small state governor Bill Clinton walked away with the nomination and the election. So much for expert opinion. I don't believe in taking anything for granted but most here disagree with that.

I don't think the repukes will find a guy like Perot in 2012 to split the democratic vote.

A number of prominent Neocons actively supported Clinton because of Bush Sr.'s tilt towards the Arabs.

I suspect that is behind a lot of what is going on around Netanyahu at the current moment. The Republicans are frantically looking for anything that could make inroads into Obama's core support, and with 1992 in mind they see peeling off Jewish voters as one way to do it.

I can't see them getting very far with that plan, unless some very unforeseen things happen between now and then, but I'm pretty sure it's on their minds.

Bush barely got a convention bounce in August and was still behind Clinton going into the post-Labor day campaign

the idea that Clinton's victory was due to vote-splitting by Perot is one of the biggest myths in political history. Perot drew from both sides, and, if anything, the race tightened after he got back in around late September. Go back and look at the polling.

The rightwing got that myth into circulation because, after 12 years of GOP rule, they wanted the country to think that the Republican party was entitled to the presidency and that and Democratic trouncing of their party was only due to an illegitimate win.

has been severe buyers remorse. Plus Bill Clinton is charismatic and I don't see anyone with charisma or enough support to pull off victory. That could change but I am not seeing a Bill Clinton type from the known people running.

put up, at least the appearance, of a fight. ;)

we're safe.

We found that out in the 2000 election.

n/t

the rich knew well in advance that the republicans would lose in 2008, and they figured obama to be more acceptable than hillary, and that had a lot to do with him winning.

obama as president has gone on to prove that he still is acceptable to the rich.

he has targetted a BILLION dollars in fundraising and he likely will achieve that mark. even if he doesn't quite get there, it will still be an absolutely staggering sum.

the rich feel no great need to spend what it would take to defeat him, in part because it would be very expensive to attempt and in part because, as indicated, obama is already acceptable to them.


obama will win something like 53% of the popular vote and about 63% of the electoral votes; which, these days, for democrats, is a landslide.

republicans will put their money in congressional and gubernatorial elections.

Suddenly the President was seen in a whole new light.

Presuming the Obama campaign runs at least an "average" campaign, I expect him to walk off with a second term.

The GOP base has become so radicalised now and so dominated by Teabaggers and Conservative Christians, that anyone vaguely electable in a general election (Romney, Huntsman) is nowhere near extreme enough to get past the primary.

Newt's a crook; Bachmann appears to be repesenting an alternate universe; Pawlenty has all the charisma of a barstool; Cain is there solely because he's black (for people who scream about "affirmative action", the GOP certainly practices it in their politics); Ron Paul doesn't stand a chance and Rand Paul is batshit crazy. The only two contenders who would stand a hope in a general are Romney and Huntsman and, as I said, they won't get past the primary.

We're too busy here on DU with the division that they could very well win the Senate. And yes, there's a chance that the Teabaggers totally blew it in the House. We could win it back if only we came together.

We need to unite NOW!!!

Maybe the month, :)

If you'll remember, only months into the president's first term, the progressive media was already tearing him a new one. Every decision, no matter how big or how small, even down to the family pet was being slammed in the media by "progressives".

So while I have cautious optimism for our future prospects, I've seen what the progressive media is capable of. We seem intent on snatching defeat from the jaws of victory everytime. <Sigh>

The Congressionals are vital!! We must GOTV more than ever.

I fear, that because Obama is such a shoo-in, that more people will stay home and we lose an opportunity to regain Congress (both houses).

:thumbsup:

and she's very pessimistic about Republicans winning back the WH next year. She actually even suggested that we just go ahead and have the election and get it over with. She then started talking about Pawlenty and I threw in the bit about him pardoning that child molester for good measure (it seemed to unnerve her). :evilgrin:

the ability of the repugs to steal elections AND the stupidity of the American voter. Remember that Monkeyboy won in 2004 using those two things.

It creates complacency.