Bad News For Democrats

[A Theist]

A number of months back, a statistic was floated that all presidents who have been up for re-election during a time when, if I recall correctly, the rate of unemployment was as high as it was at that time, had gone on to defeat at the end of their first term. Regardless of the causes, the economy, housing and unemployment situation hasn't seen a compelling resurrection under Obama. Right or wrong, when people are suffering, have suffered, and don't see things turning around, they blame the present administration, and notably its head, the president. I find it quite believable that there may be a lot of disaffected Democrats out there. If so, the question is not so much "whether," but rather, "how much." I don't personally believe there's enough swing from, and enough strength on the Republican ticket, to cash that out in terms of a win, but it quite possibly could make the race more interesting than it would be otherwise.

Obama's going to be blamed because he's the guy who promised he was going to bring hope and change. He promised to cut the deficit, calling George Bush unpatriotic for adding $4 trillion to the national debt, "all by his lonsome", in his two terms as president. That promise didn't pan out. Instead, Obama added nearly $5 trillion to the national debt in just three and a half years. Candidate Obama also promised shovel ready jobs, then later, President Obama said there were no shovel ready jobs. Obama promised to reduce the national unemployment rate to 6% by the end of his term, or his would be "a one term proposition". The national unemployment rate still remains above 8% (8.3%). Of course he's going to be blamed. He's the guy who made promises that didn't pan out.