>>>He was on "Meet the Press" a few months ago. Once he refused to say that any changes needed to be made to Social Security, I was done with him.
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>>>
>>>I was done with him the minute I read the story about him wanting to discuss divorce terms with a wife who was recovering from cancer surgery in the hospital. He's nothing but a piece of sh__
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>>In fairness, that is bipartisan. John Edwards cheated on his dying wife.
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>Ya, but he wasn't leading the typical GOP hypocritcal, "we're almightier than thou" charge to impeach the President while he was cheating on his wife.
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>Not only do the Republicans have no serious contender, but the American people hve had enough of the "party of NO'. They're sick & tired of big government, and their sick & tired of the GOP telling people what they can and cannot do in the privacy of their own lives.
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>Like I said, the Dems will do just fine, and Obama will do another term.
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>Truth is, Obama isn't really doing that bad of a a job. http://www.pollingreport.com/obama_job.htm

Since I was half right about the last election regarding your prediction of the Dems maintining both houses, I'd like to jump in here an offer my impression of the next election.

2012 will have nothing to do with who runs, it will have everything to do with the state of the economy. Not merely figures, issued ad-nauseum by political spin doctors and media lapdogs from both sides, but the actual real world impacts of the economy on the citizenry.

If unemployment, foreclosures, housing, wages, etc continues to linger or get worse while inflation rises, the Republicans will win. Regardless of who they run. Even Ron Paul or the Donald will win.

If those improve, Obama wins. It's that easy.

In the short term, inflation is accelerating and the Fed will raise rates to attempt to control it. The end of QE2 will impact the US markets this summer. Companies will continue to hold off major US hiring until they've achieved clarity regarding their future legal and tax obligations. Home prices are going to re-test the recent bottoms. Already high gas prices will continue to rise as we switch to the summer blends.

Can the US achieve enough growth to overcome these obstacles by November 2012? That's the real question. Whose running against Obama? That's just for show. ;)