Posted on 11/30/2009 7:53:36 AM PST by SeekAndFind
If former CNN anchorman Lou Dobbs decides to make an independent bid for president in 2012, he will probably find the political climate as hospitable for an insurgent run — if not more so — as it was in 1992, when Ross Perot captured a fifth of the popular vote. (It was the best showing by a third-party candidate since Bull Moose Teddy Roosevelt finished second with 27.4 percent of the vote in 1912.)
The dreary economic New Normal that is the aftermath of the Great Recession has created a huge political opening for Dobbs or Michael Bloomberg or Sarah Palin, or some other American with high visibility or deep pockets or both.
It was a slow-recovering economy and concern about big deficits that drove the Perot phenomenon. There’s a high probability both factors will be at play three years from now. The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities forecasts annual budget deficits to average $1.2 trillion over the next three years. And the Federal Reserve is forecasting a so-so economic expansion that will leave unemployment over 7 percent in 2012. Overall, the nation’s economic mood might be a lot worse than it was in 1992.
Then you have a populist, anti-Wall Street sentiment that neither Democrats nor Republicans have been able to capture successfully. The result is that party loyalties are frayed, with the tea party movement one manifestation. According to the Pew Research Center, 36 percent of Americans identify themselves as independents, the highest number since 1992. And they seem to be up for grabs. Barack Obama won 52 percent of the independent vote in 2008. But a recent poll by Rasmussen Reports shows Obama with a 61 percent disapproval rating among the group.
None of this means an independent would actually win.
(Excerpt) Read more at blogs.reuters.com ...
A great way to assure Obama is re-elected and nothing more ...
Perhaps Dobbs will ride the NAFTA Superhighway on the campaign trail!
actually, if he is now for Amnesty, he is not going to siphon votes off from GOP candidate.
Ooops, I meant to say “NAU Superhighway”. I must have had Perot on the brain! LOL!
He ain’t no ghost of Perot if he supports AMNESTY!
Palin: And this one is from Harpenden Southeast. A very interesting constituency this: in addition to the official Silly candidate there is an unofficial Very Silly candidate, in the slab of concrete, and he could well split the silly vote here at Harpenden Southeast.
Jones: Mrs Elsie Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz...
Cleese: Silly
Jones: 26,317 (applause). Jeanette Walker...
Cleese: Sensible
Jones: 26,318...
Cleese: Very close!
Jones: Malcolm Peter Brian Telescope Adrian Blackpool Rock Stoatgobbler John Raw Vegetable Brrroooo Norman Michael (rings bell) (blows whistle) Edward (sounds car horn) (does train impersonation) (sounds buzzer) Thomas Moo... (sings) “We’ll keep a welcome in the...” (fires gun) William (makes silly noise) “Raindrops keep falling on my” (weird noise) “Don’t sleep in the subway” (cuckoo cuckoo) Naaoooo... Smith.
Cleese: Very Silly
Jones: ...two.
Cleese: Well there you have it, a Sensible gain at Harpenden with the Silly vote being split.
I see the possibility, but disagree.
People are realizing that the house is on fire this time, and they will make their shot/votes count.
I expected Bob Barr to do much better in the last election and he made no difference. Certainly he would have been better than BHO or McCain.
We’ll see who’s funding the deal.
If the trail leads back to the Baraqqi Coalition, you know it’s their plan to win 2012 with a Clintonian plurality.
No matter how bad things get, Baraq is good for 40% of the vote.
He has not said one word about he supports amnesty, the so called other contenders are the ones that are on record supporting amnesty., That would be McCain, “Pardon killers” Huckster, Willard, Palin, the man of many wives from new york,etc.
Since everyone else does and are on the record, I guess you and I will stay home.
After his recent flipflop on illegals, his chances have diminished greatly.
He might draw 3%.
He won’t even come near Perot’s numbers of 1992.
Of interest. Perot gave us Clinton but Bush gave us Perot.
Perot would do even better today. The job sucking sound is much louder.
I like Lou Dobbs he stood up for Americans against illegal aliens and talked all about how our sovereignty was being eroded by globalization and he talked openly about the New World Order plans. By the way have you read this?
Why do these celebrities always read the tea leaves incorrectly? No one wants Dobbs as POTUS.
I was geared up to support Barr in the primary season, then he drank the AGW kool-aid.
If he runs, we can look forward to four more years of Obama. Grrrrrr!!!!
I was geared up to support Barr in the primary season, then he drank the AGW kool-aid.
I was in an agony, then McCain brought Sarah Palin into the national spotlight. He got my vote for that.
I did have a relative vote for Barr. Interesting, as she actually is a center moderate. She could not bring herself to vote for either BHO or McCain, as she so dislikes their personalities.
He might draw 3%.
He won’t even come near Perot’s numbers of 1992.
Agreed. ACORN will be a much more significant factor.
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