Thinking about 2012 and what we're likely to face.

[MineralMan]

One question is who the GOP will nominate for President. I dismiss all the Palin nonsense, quite frankly, although lots of people seem fixated on her. Looking at the rest of the possible field, I see just one person who seems poised to get this nomination: Mitt Romney. And here's the other thing I see. I see a very difficult race in 2012 for President Obama against Romney.

On the Democratic side, it doesn't appear that any strong candidate is positioning him/herself to run against President Obama in the primaries. I see lots of people suggesting the usual suspects, like Kucinich, and Dean, etc., along with some really wacky suggestions. Dean won't run, I'm certain, and the also-rans from previous elections won't get any more support from the general run of Democratic voters than they have in the past. I'm just not seeing any serious challenge, and when the question gets raised here on DU, the same names keep popping up, including Bernie Sanders, who I like a lot, but who can't possible be the Democratic candidate for President.

So, what to do? Some have suggested a third-party challenge. Down that road lies a Republican in the White House, and anyone who argues otherwise seems to me to be completely ignoring reality. So, if that happens, it'll be a welcome mat for Mitt Romney or another strong, moderate Republican.

I don't find that option acceptable at all. Yes, President Obama has dealt us all some disappointments. Most have been due to a shitty Senate that can't find its ass with both hands. Some has been due to the really, really lousy burning bag of dog crap waiting at the White House door for President Obama when he took office.

So, what do we do? I'm thinking what we'd better do is to support Obama for that second term and give him a full eight years to get things moving. It seems to me he's been trying, and not succeeding, but trying. I can't see another path that leads anywhere but to a Republican like Romney sitting in the President's chair beginning in 2013. Maybe someone else can, but I can't. If you have another path that has an actual chance of working, I'd love to hear it.

We're in a tight spot. It has the potential to become even tighter. What we all do, as Democrats, is going to help determine the outcome. If we make a mistake and move the wrong way, the consequences are going to be nasty as all getout. That's how I'm seeing things right now.

[tcaudilllg]

1. Mitt Romney's about the most liberal Republican there is.

since Specter left.

Don't know, honestly, if we would be better off with him, or with Obama!

[Ohio Joe]

4. For supreme court only, President Obama is better

I will not consider any repug over President Obama... not for a second.

[MineralMan]

10. And yet, he is still a Republican, isn't he?

I don't find that acceptable at all. I have never voted for any Republican, and I will not start now. You may do as you please.

[leftstreet]

2. Has Obama said he's running for a 2nd term?

:shrug:

[MineralMan]

9. He has not said he's not, has he?

I'm dealing with probabilities, not pipe dreams. Thanks for your reply.

[tcaudilllg]

3. Congress gets you more power. I suggest working on that.

[MineralMan]

11. Well, of course. We seem to have dropped the ball on that one

in 2010, though, didn't we? Now, we have a Republican House and a lousy excuse for a majority in the Senate. Turnout was pretty dismal, as I remember, and we lost some votes on important measures, even if they were Blue Dogs. I guarantee that the Republicans who replaced them will not vote for Democratic bills. That didn't work out too well.

[quinnox]

5. If Romney can get the nomination

I have a hard time to see how he doesn't beat Obama, unless the economy comes roaring back miraculously between now and then.

And Romney is the least objectionable of the republican field to me, I'll be rooting for him on the GOP side when compared to the likes of Palin or the other fruitcakes.

I think Romney is an intelligent fellow and would be a moderate republican president.

[tcaudilllg]

18. If not in 2012, it's between him and Jindal in 2016.

Whether it happens in 2012 is completely up to Obama.

[nadinbrzezinski]

6. We are at the point where it really does not matter

But carry on...all republics face this point...we're there.

[MineralMan]

12. I disagree completely. You appear to have given up. OK.

I refuse to do so. But, you can keep right on writing that all is lost. I just won't be paying any attention any more. That's defeatism, and I don't do defeatism.

[bobbolink]

19. It would be nice if it were simply a matter of "attitude". We would all prefer that.

I like how easily it is for you to sneer at the pain that others are expressing.

How very......."positive" of you.

[nadinbrzezinski]

20. Nope, not given up

Realize the fight will be generational and at this stage the ballot box is a small component.

[immune]

13. Yep. We're there.

And to be honest, I'm more concerned right now with what's going to happen in the next two years to be focusing much beyond that point. Breaking point?

[nadinbrzezinski]

22. DU is buggy and all countries come to this

The battle has moved to the courts, see citizens united...

And to the social protest stage.

[immune]

23. Don't know

what you mean by buggy, but yes empires fall and this one is long overdue.

In the past the elites could always push such a failure far ahead into the future because of the availability of more land and more resources to exploit and more, more, more of everything. Now we're essentially landlocked and the road to never ending national expansion that kept alive the promise and potential for the peasants and middle class of days gone by has dead-ended and hope is dying - or already dead. Now all people can see in their future is more and more unpayable debt.

But the problem with the inevitable collapse of empire is that the people who get crushed by falling building blocks never seem to be the ones who stacked them too GD high in the first place, they are always there to pick up the pieces and start the game anew.

[immune]

14. Sorry ...

[immune]

15. Well for crying out loud

dupe

[immune]

16. delete

[immune]

17. delete

[rucky]

7. What if Palin runs third party?

[MilesColtrane]

24. If she begins to get any significant support at all, the GOP will co-opt her.

I can see a Perry/Palin ticket happening.

I think that ticket was mentioned in the Book of Revelations as a sign of the end times.

[spanone]

8. palin. i don't dismiss her at all. i can't stand her, but i don't dismiss her.

[StevieM]

21. I agree that Palin won't go anywhere. I think the nominee will either be Romney, or a dark horse

like Mike Pence will emerge. I actually think Pence will get the GOP nod--they are in just that kind of crazy mood.

[krabigirl]

25. So Obama will be re-elected then..i don't see too much difference between him and Romney. Sad i know