I think I'm ready to call the 2012 election right now.

[Capitalocracy]

Republican strategists all around the country are putting on a pot of coffee as we speak, getting ready to pull an all-nighter...

[tridim]

1. I'm hearing "four more years" chants on one of the WH cams.

[Capitalocracy]

2. Funny, I'm not hearing that...

maybe it's because I'm watching Fox ;)

[LynneSin]

3. Looking at those who were planning on running, I knew the GOP was waiting for 2016

There isn't one candidate who could have given a serious challenge to Obama and this was BEFORE today.

[TransitJohn]

5. Bingo. It's been obvious for a while they were gonna offer up a sacrificial lamb.

Huntsman is the dark horse, though, but if and only if he can get the wingnut evangelical fundie Repub base to overlook his Mormonism.

[Capitalocracy]

12. Not that I'm arguing with you, but who would they put forward if they DID think they had a chance?

Seriously, who could possibly run on the Republican side without either being a joke or becoming a joke after bending over backward to please their nuthouse base?

[leftstreet]

4. If Obama needed this to get elected, he's got trouble

I seriously doubt there was any chance Obama could lose 2012

[Capitalocracy]

9. I'm not saying he NEEDED it...

but I think it takes away a lot of doubt.

I actually thought of it as being up in the air still... sure, all the Republican prospects are out of their mind, but so is the Republican base, and once they become the official candidate, they gain a certain amount of perceived credibility. Then, like most elections, it comes down to turnout... and the Republicans are going to have a LOT of help from corporations.

[fishwax]

6. lot of time to go and a lot of work to be done -- ghw bush's ratings were huge at this point in his

first term and he lost his re-election bid. His approval ratings were at 89% in the first months of 1991, but he lost to Clinton. I don't think that will happen this time around (for a number of reasons), but the point is, there is still a lot of time and turmoil between now and election day ...

[Odin2005]

7. Obama will win by a landslide.

[roamer65]

8. Its a long way to 2012.

I thought Carter would get re-elected for the Camp David Accords, but the economy does rule over everything else.

[Capitalocracy]

10. I know, and I'm being a little bit facetious...

but after showing the birth certificate, and essentially driving a huge wedge between the crazy Republicans and the ones trying to maintain some semblance of seriousness, and then killing Osama bin Laden, the Republicans are going to have a hell of a time putting together a victory after this.

[demwing]

11. Good point, but the Camp David Accords were early in Carter's term

1978, right?

And they didn't inspire this great swell of American pride. I really think Obama might have run into some trouble over the economy, but this will weigh heavily in Obama's favor, you just can't deny it.

Comparatively, if Carter had successfully brought the Iranian hostages home, he would have been reelected, IMO. There was no way Reagan and Bush were going to let that happen, fucking swine.

[newmexicodem]

13. 2012 election

If Barack Obama can fix this $5 gas mess and fix the healthcare mess......the election is his by a landslide!

**He needs to withdraw from Iraq, Afganistan, and Libya as the suspect has been captured and killed in a different nation(Pakistan)

**Use war funds to fund a PUBLIC OPTION for healthcare much like the UK and Canada. The reason healthcare reform hasn't been so popular is because citizens still have to pay high premiums. FREE healthcare has a nice ring to it! And he could benefit politically much like FDR took advantage of the Social Security program for his own gain

**Fix the $5 gas mess by whatever means necessary.

**Fix Social Security removing the cap on the payroll tax for high earners

[pstokely]

14. 18 months is an entenrity in politics, just is Poppy Bush

It will be the economy, stupid