Our nation cannot withstand another Obama term, nor a placeholder Pubbie in the White House, and remain remotely true to its founding principles.
It is why I lean toward the arrogant SOB Newt Gingrich.
Your post struck a chord; and my reply here is not meant for you specifically, but for folks in general.
The upcoming election in November of next year will be about one topic...and one topic only - the economy. Specifically - jobs (or the lack thereof).
If there really were a majority of American (and legal) voters in this land who truly evaluated both the candidates and the general state of the country come election time, then the stain that currently ruins the "white" house would still be a do-nothing waste of a senator in IL.
No...truth be told, the vast majority of voting Americans (legal and illegal) will make up their minds a few days before the election is held, vote on the current emotional issue, and go home satisfied.
In '08, the single emotional issue that drove the voter was a visceral hatred of George Bush coupled with the image of mccain as "just another old white man".
In '12; it will be all about jobs and the economy. If the economy improves - even a little bit - then the stain will be with us all for another four years.
There isn't one single candidate on the right who has both the "star power" (needed to win elections) and the cogent arguement proving that this country is going down hard by the bow, to overcome an improving economy. Not one.
I fear, therefore, that the stain will win in a "cake walk"....particularly if the right nominates a ging-rich or romney.
The only possible candidate that could have made a difference; who could have (and has) made the cogent arguement; who has the "star power"; who's been through it all before and understand how it works - decided a few months ago to leave the political arena.
Perhaps the exodus was brought about because of this person's "insider knowledge" of exactly how things really do work. Who knows?
Summary: if - and as - the economy improves, the stain's chances for re-election go up logarithmically. And there's a whole year to go before voting time.