Days of Change

Waning

In many ways, the Bush administration was much different than the Obama one, despite what some Bush haters may think. Bush won by the rules of the Electoral College, but lost the popular vote. In reality, Al Gore got about 48.4% of the popular vote, so he had the plurality rather than an outright majority. In the 2002 mid-terms, the Republicans got back their majority in the Senate. In 2004, Bush got the first popular majority of the vote since his father in the 1988 election. He eventually had his second term slump and the Democrats took the majority in both houses.

Obama won the 2008 election with a larger Electoral College and popular vote majority. However, 2010 brought the Democrats an unwanted loss of the House after only two Congressional terms. While the Democrats took some gains in 2012, Obama saw millions of voters choose not to vote for him a second time. Still, he pulled ahead of Romney. The threat of Obamacare won GOP seats in 2010. The reality of Obamacare may win the Senate back for Republicans.

This year may bring the political fortunes of both presidents into alignment. The Republicans already have the House and have virtually no chance to lose it. They have a better chance of winning 6 Senate seats in 2014 than they did of winning 11 in 2010. Obama’s main victories have been standing his ground and successfully hiding. The Democratic Party’s “Like a Boss” meme may be accurate. He’s like your boss who doesn’t come out of his office unless someone important is there and everyone under him is too afraid to talk to him.

Obama can only hold off the Republicans. His increases in government debt going to unions and special interests are done, but real influence is on the wane. He is mired in scandal after scandal, to the point where Democrats are grading them as important and not important. The Democrats are no longer interested in 50 state strategies. It’s every politicians for themselves and they have to try and figure out how to save their seat, even if others have to lose theirs.