Why does this statement not encourage me?

[Harry Monroe]

“And I just have to remind people that — here’s one thing I know for certain,” he continued. “The odds of me being reelected are much higher than the odds of me being elected in the first place.”

Um...I wouldn't count on it Mr. President. Keep tacking to the right and compromising with the Rethuglican evildoers and you'll give people no compelling reason to reelect you. The very reason people voted for you in 2008 was because you represented a stark change from the previous Administration.

http://2012.talkingpointsmemo.com/2011/09/obama-reaches-out-to-nervous-dems-puts-2012-into-perspective.php

[Arctic Dave]

1. There certainly are a lot of assumption in that statement nt.

[Harry Monroe]

3. Indeed. He's assuming that the American public will look at the Republican choice...

...and vote for the sane alternative. Frankly, relying on that kind of logic scares me. We only have to look at recent presidential elections in '00 and '04 to see the fallacy of that kind of thinking. We see how well that turned out!!

[Arctic Dave]

5. The Human Being is a dumb animal, I agree.

So, like I said, that statement has a lot of assumption.

[Life Long Dem]

9. Not relying on that kind of logic scares me.

[Broderick]

2. He will win by 8 on reelection

53-46 with about 1% other.

Unless a third party runs someone like Sarah then he wins,

50-32-18

My predictions regardless of polls. I know how this country operates.

:bounce:

[Harry Monroe]

4. Do you really know "how this country operates"?

A populace that is fed on a steady diet of reality television and a 24 hour news cycle of junk propaganda is no recipe for an informed electorate. Frankly, I think Obama is grasping at straws with that statement. He needs to grow a set of balls fast and set himself apart from the Republicans.

[Broderick]

6. Just being the eternal optimist

mired in sarcasm.

[Harry Monroe]

7. Good to see you are optimistic, my friend

But you are counting on the good sense of the American people. Frankly, I don't see very much good sense anymore.

[Broderick]

8. At a footnote

Reading scores on the SAT set a new record in futility.

It isn't going to get better with the new generation.

[treestar]

10. I see his point

Most voters aren't very political. And that a black man was elected POTUS was amazing, but once that history was made, as incumbent, that is no longer a first. Recall the worries about the Bradley effect before the election.

[Honeycombe8]

11. Well, maybe you've forgotten. Or maybe you don't know how it is across a lot of

America. There were millions who wouldn't have voted for Obama based on his race alone, no matter what. And the polls showed him very far behind for a while. Very far.

That's all he means. He's saying, "Don't "misunderestimate" me."

I'm disappointed in him, too, as millions of others are. But do you have to be so negative and hateful? I mean...you don't really want a Republican to win, do you?

[Beacool]

12. Always so humble.........

In 2008 he didn't have a record, now he does.

What's going to be the Democratic catch phrase in 2012? Vote for Obama, he sucks less than the Republican nominee?

:eyes:

[Vicar In A Tutu]

13. He has to compromise due to the risible congress

On BOTH sides. The GOP is arguably the smaller problem.

[vroomvroom]

14. FAIL! The Problem is Obama refuses to ever Fight -- he either is weak or prefers GOP policies.

If he just showed backbone and fought for his principles (assuming he has left principles) then he would earn peoples respect on the left...even if he lost many of those fights because of congress. But no, Obama never fights. Time and again he is willing to give the queen to avoid the fight.

That to me is worse. I am a black guy and have lost my respect for Obama. Sure we are in Campaign Season and so Obama, like other democrats will finally start "pretending" to be democrats with progressive values but i see through his games and i know he is still for GOP values. That or he is weak.

[CakeGrrl]

15. Because of the way you choose to interpret it.

It's pretty simple. A lot of people (including myself) didn't even register the Senator on the Primary radar until he started winning the first few primaries. To poll so far behind the marquee name (Hillary) in the race in the beginning and then WIN it was pretty damned amazing.

Once in, an incumbent generally has a built-in advantage.

That said, if you want to pull out the "If he keeps capitulating/tacking/compromising with the right" warning, you can. But do note who is running against him. Someone will occupy the White House, and if people haven't figured out that there is a hell of a difference, then woe is this country.

[Phx_Dem]

16. He's right. In 2008 he was an unknown quantity, a black man (gasp!), he

had Jeramiah Wright and the radical 60's guy hanging around his neck and very little accomplishments to tout.

Now everyone knows him and the majority like him. He has shown that he's not a scary black man and now has lots of accomplishments worth touting, man of which are very popular when you break them down instead of referring to them in bulk; like Obamacare of The Stimulus. They like that he repealed DADT, killed Bin Laden, helped take down Kadaffi, saved GM, they can keep their college kids on the health insurance, the can't be denied for existing conditions, and he closed the donut hole for seniors, and much more.