As President Barack Obama and his staff continue to learn (assuming they bury their alleged legendary hubris deep in the bowels of the White House) that effective governing, especially when you control both ends of Pennsylvania Avenue, is a far cry from excellent campaigning, they should be able to slow or stop their slippage from the heights of public and media approval.
However, as Team Obama continues - for the moment - to bump up against certain unmovable realities, I've heard something from a number of Republicans that makes me fear for the future of our nation. Forgetting the present and past mistakes that plague their own "leadership," these Republicans have gleefully speculated that "maybe we can beat something with nothing in 2012." For the sake of the republic, let's hope not.
I am an independent-minded conservative, and Barack Obama and his left-of-center team give me great pause. That said, as an American, I have no desire to see him "fail." Failure at his level - especially when job one for any president is national security - impacts us all in one way or another.
As a conservative, I'm also aware of the "Obama is evil" talking points that the Republican National Committee, Republican organizations and certain GOP wannabe presidential candidates fire out in a predictable and far from original manner. Fine. I get it. You don't think President Obama is up to the task. Nor would you think any Democratic president is qualified for the position. (Sadly for us all, the only real job requirement for the heads of the Republican National Committee and Democratic National Committee is to denigrate the other side.)
Note to both political parties: The American people are disgusted by your hackneyed, partisan antics and are desperate for any kind of adult leadership. For that reason, the Republicans who whisper that "maybe we can beat something with nothing in 2012" should not only be ashamed of themselves but should prepare for a rude awakening.
If they are na?ve enough to believe what they are saying, then they have no concept of time. At least not presidential election-cycle time. Each "political" day is the equivalent of 10 normal days. Meaning, the three-plus years Mr. Obama has left in his term is basically forever in the political business. Assuming he can find the pulse of the American people, he has plenty of time to regain his presidential strut.
