Would Barak Obama get re-elected?

[flobadob]

I feel that outside of America Obama is well liked but what are the feelings within America. I saw this picture http://www.womansday....a-Embarrassed-Yet.jpg and it just made me wonder that if there was an election in America now would he be elected again?

[R1Geezer]

Hope not, he's a disaster, the US and the world deserve Sarah Palin, go hockey mum!

[jake-the-peg]

I'm sure Obama would love to stand against Palin!

Thing is elections aren't held on a snap - there's a long lead up and significant campaigns that gives a long lead up for the candidates to strengthen their cases and images.

Consequently the "If an election were held tomorrow" type of arguments are a bit hypothetical.

As Harold Wilson said a week is a long time in politics

[dr b]

I think much depends on who runs against him in two years, and how the economy is doing at that time. He seems to have tacked to the center (or at least gives the appearance of doing so) after the disastrous (for the Democrats) November elections. The budget he revealed today is causing more distress among his own party than among the Republicans, it seems. Bill Clinton pursued much the same strategy ("triangulation" - distancing himself from the left wing of his party) in the second half of his first term and got reelected, so we'll have to see. Two years is a long time. But, if everyone is mad at him at the moment he may be doing something right.

[dr b]

Another unpredictable element is foreign policy - what does the Middle East look like in 2 years - a bunch of liberal democracies or fanatical theocracies? (I like the way that rhymes!) If it's a mess and the Republicans nominate someone with little foreign policy experience (other than being able to see Russia from her house) the electorate may not be willing to toss out someone with 4 years experience. Right now we're all focused on jobs and the economy but that may change.

[Zeuhl]

It's all about the economy.

Will Americans feel better off or worse off when the election comes and would they have more confidence in switching to an inexperienced alternative? - that's the question

The Republicans with any sense will do all they can to derail Sarah Palin because she's an inexperienced, ill educated moron and could end up being Obama's best recruiting sergeant.
.

[R1Geezer]

have you noticed how politicans become morons if they don't go with the right on trendy opinions of the left?

[Quizmonster]

There's ample evidence that Palin is none too bright, R1G, but I'd be glad to hear from you some evidence to the contrary...ie on her political experience outwith Alaska or her erudition in general.

[mike11111]

The same was said about Ronald Reagan.

[The-HouseHusband]

Does it actually matter who is sat in the front seat in any democratic government nowadays, most decisions are made long before the leader gets eyes on and they just put a stamp of approval on them if told to do so by the advisors that are paid to make sure they make the "right decision" before it gets sent before the house/senate for a vote of approval and all the infighting that follows. The first couple of years with a new leader/government is spent trying to change what the last lot did even if it works and then they move on to doing what they sort of said in their election campaign.

[jake-the-peg]

There is a presidential veto

So yes it does

[youngmafbog]

Yes, true there is a Presidential veto, but one who went against the majority of his/her party would not last long (Yes I know no femaie US Presidents yet, nitpickers)

R1, I had noticed that too. In fact it applies to anyone who does not agree to their right-on way of thinking. Noo Labour perfected it by slurs such as racist and other name calling to detract from the real argument.

Note sure Palin is the right candidate though, the Tea Party are a bunch of nutters all beliving in some Fariy story.

[anotheoldgit]

Yes agree with R1Geezer & youngmafbog on this,

/// have you noticed how politicans become morons if they don't go with the right on trendy opinions of the left? ///

I wonder how long it will be before they wheel out that old cliché and call whoever runs against him a 'Racist'?

[jake-the-peg]

Read that again

That's one of our most right wing contributers saying the Tea party are all a bunch of nutters believing in a fairy story.

I don't think I can add to that

Oh heck I will!

The US seems to sense something profoundly wrong - well I guess that's mostly to do with their economy.

They have been brought up on the myth of their superiority and particularly the superiority of their "way" their political institution - particularly in comparison to communism - the particular bogeyman.

20 years ago that must have seemed validated by the collapse of the Berlin wall.

Now all of a sudden they have a massive growing defecit and they are in debt to China - the old foe - to the tume of $750 Billion

Not surprising that they are politically tearing each other apart - the Tea party are desperately trying to get back to that old world.

Where is that money going?

Well the US Military budget for 2010 was $664 Billion

The US military could pay off the entire UK defecit in 2 years

[R1Geezer]

anyone who get's the weird beards spitting out their organic muesli must be doing something right! Palin and GWB before her got them sh1tting themselves and that can only be good!

[sp1814]

There's an equal and opposite charge you can lay at the feet of many of those who veer to the right politically, and its this:

"If you don't agree with what I'm saying, then you are a traitor to your country"

"If you don't agree with that I believe then you are a communist"

Also those on the political right use the word 'trendy' when describing left (or centre left) beliefs as if they are true believers in a cause and everyone on the so-called 'Left' only believe what they do as a fashion statement - and that's just weird...

[sp1814]

R1Geezer

You're absolutely correct...GWB terrified me as the leader of the free world, because he so obviously had seriously learning difficulties.

Like many people, I saw the look of blank confusion on his face on that day ion September 2001 and wondered how on earth America would cope with a man in the White House who looked as if he needed help getting dressed in the morning.

He always put me in mind of Billy Bob Thornton in Slingblade.

[R1Geezer]

SP your comments insult the whole nation for electing someone who doesn't fulfil your sterotype of someone who looks intelligent? The fact is SP he got elected twice, the people wanted him. Your twee observations merely insult the US electorate.

[sp1814]

R1Geezer

Your statement would only be true if everyone in America voted for Bush.

They did not - there ARE a lot of very savvy Americans.

They're called Democrats.

[youngmafbog]

Here we go SP, so you reckon anyone who doesn't agree with you is not savvy then?

Terming a group 'trendy' or 'right-on' is not the same as making asertions about their intellignce.

Is it ?

[KARL]

One of my biggest regrets I have is never having visited the Soviet Union pre 1985. The reason is that I would have liked to experience for myself (and test the stories put out by vested interests on the opposite side of the curtain) the sort of things that apparently were evident, such as what Polish colleagues at the time told me of: While they could drive into Russia they needed no road map. Reason: if the strayed off the approved route someone would magically spring onto the road, stop them and turn them back onto the correct route. The Soviet Union is gone and most of the symptoms with it.

However, very interesting specimen and their brand of (similar but different) world view are still found in the USA and this makes it an interesting place. The way they not only have a monocrome visual spectrum in terms of what life is about but spend obscene amounts of effort and money to change all existence into that narrow format is fascinating. What adds to the adrenaline rush is that this lot has enormous power and influence and they are likely to literally obliterate you if they so much as get a whiff of you harbouring doubts that they are right in a divine way.

Also in the USA you have brave souls who want to infuse the place with ideas that are widely supported in other parts of the world and they are busy shouting that the emperor is actually naked. This of course infuriates the puritans who want to maintain the status quo in a rigid way (including making a mockery of the much vaunted slogan "Democracy") and this struggle is quite a spectacle.

Who will win at the next school sports meeting is an open question, but there are those who believe that the giant is already showing signs of degeneration of the type that brought down previous empires from the British back to the Persian. Belief in a mythical correctness, greatness and invincibility is a sign of rot and there is by far more evidence of that on the Republican s