Synopsis of the article = the 2012 election? There must be a pony in there somewhere.
...great article - I was as guilty as any conservative of wishful thinking for 2012 - but the reality was
1) Romney was a weaker candidate than I led myself to believe
2) The fall 2008 financial meltdown and middle east adventures damaged the GOP brand more than I thought
3) the 2010 mid-term results actually helped Obama in some ways - this paired with the domestic energy boom gave the US economy just enough life to let an encumbent squeak by