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The amazing thing is how easy and normal it was to elect a black president. Even a year ago I'd have expected it to be a dominant issue, yet despite the best efforts of the media and Palin it seems almost nobody cared.



You absolutely hit the nail on the head, JRV!!!! Amazing. I saw polls that he did better with white voters than Kerry did.

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At this point the popular vote spread is about 5 points, well outside the margin of error, and large enough that there doesn't seem to have been much "Bradley effect".



Another astute point. It may be, as pollsters said, that they fixed the problems that led to their bad polls of the past. It may be that there were valid many reasons, like lack of experience, someone could give for voting against him that it eliminated the factor.

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I predict that he'll be removed in four years.



That's not necessarily so easy. W Bush won re-election though he had low approval ratings. His dad likely would have won re-election if Perot didn't steal support from him. Even Carter, who was a disaster, was up in the polls with about a week to go. He sunk himself in the debate with Reagan. Johnson had a bad war and a split party and, though he didn't run, Humphrey only lost by about 1%.

And, as JRV notes, the GOP could run a loon like Palin.

I only hope he lives to campaign for re-election. Many nuts out there ....

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I also predict that the Republicans will gain seats in 2010 after two years of this administration, and a Democrat run congress.



I agree. "Corrections" like that almost always happen. They happened to Reagan in 1982, to Clinton in 1994, and Bush completely lost a Republican Congress. And, I, too expect them to lose more than a few seats in what will be a trying time over the next two years.

The interesting thing is how Democrats did this round. They should have lost seats since they picked up far more than expected only 2 years ago. But, they appear to have gained quite a few.

I think that many of the newer faces aren't that liberal, came in on Obama's coattails and want to be part of whatever he's doing. I don't buy the "liberal" label that's been applied to him. I see him more centrist. He's committed to have Republicans in his administration. He's committed to reach across the aisle. It's much more likely he'll fight with the very liberals you fear than kowtow to their bidding.

He won this election without them. He and his "organization", which he will try to keep in place, are a valuable election asset which many House members will want to tap into. And, the main concern of almost all politicians is to get re-elected. He's already got a nice fresh carrot for the "donkeys" to lust after.


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I think that allot of Obama supporters are showing their age. Allot of the young people who have lofty, and naive expectations of this new administration, obviously aren't old enough to remember the economy of the late 70s. When a liberal like Obama, (Carter) was running the country, and had the backing of a liberal majority in congress.



I HATE Carter and helped elect Reagan, but Carter inherited a bad economy that didn't turn around until under Reagan.

The economy was bad under Nixon and Ford, too. It's what happens when you waste your resources in stupid, unnecessary wars. [Vietnam & Iraq].

You remember the Nixon's wage price freeze, Nixon taking us off the gold standard, Ford's "Whip Inflation Now!" buttons. They had severe economic problems.

THE LIBERAL CONGRESS DID NOT WORK WITH CARTER. If you actually remember back much of Carter's problem was that he could NOT get along with Tip O'Neil and Congress at all. It was as if they were from opposing parties. They couldn't stand him. He got NOTHING passed.

You want to argue that Obama and Pelosi are going to bump heads like Carter/O'Neil, that's fair. But, Carter had little power, and Reagan put his agenda thru a very Democratic congress.

The economy was great under Kennedy, Johnson & Clinton.

Under both Bush's? We tanked! Starting under Reagan, the Banking and insider scandals. Under W, an unregulated credit market tanks the market. Coincidence?? Perhaps.




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Working for Obama is that he seems to be quickly moving to the center. His most important economic adviser right now is Paul Volcker, decidedly not a tax & spend liberal.



Hope so. That's what I voted for.
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Amo i Gemelli!! wink