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Politics : View from the Center and Left -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Cogito who wrote (152074)	12/12/2010 7:41:42 AM
From: Paul Smith	Respond to of 542131

Pretty much no politician's "base" is a majority of the population. Base seems subjective but could be thought of as the people that support you. Presumably, a politician builds a base and tries to enlarge his base. Obama was elected because he he was attractive, at the time, to many independents. Since both major parties are not majority parties in terms of registration, independents tends to determine elections. Obama's base no longer includes most of the independents. As Peggy Noonan noted, Obama started losing the independents in year one of his presidency. As we approach the end of year two, he has recently been losing non-independents that also were part of his original base. The Obama base keeps shrinking. Momentum could change, he could regain some of what has slipped away - it is theoretically possible, BUT, it may depend on him supporting, advocating, getting out in front for things that the people that he has lost can/will support. Card check for unions? - no, that is poison for his presidency. Cap & Trade? - that would be ridiculous. Tax simplification? Hmmmm--- there's a good one. Is Obama smart enough to embrace that? He needs issues like that and the avoidance of many more errors or he will not be re-elected. Then he will have time to compare notes with Jimmy Carter.