President Obama has had a terrible first year. Look for many if not most Democrats running for re-election this year to try to distance themselves from him as much as possible when the campaigns start heating up later in the year. The only ones who will want Obama to campaign for them are those in heavily minority or welfare districts or so wacko leftwing that they won't vote for anything other than a liberal Democrat no matter who he or she is.
Unless the economy drastically improves and Obama can find some way to show that he can command respect, exercise leadership, and get things done--none of which he has demonstrated thus far--I think Hillary could give him a serious run for the money in the 2012 primaries. She has already signaled that she won't serve another term as Secretary of State and realistically this is her last shot.
Sarah meanwhile continues to be the most polarizing figure on the American scene right now. She is a coveted guest EVERYWHERE and a media magnet like I haven't seen in a very long time. And people who don't decide in advance to hate her do like her. She is consistently on message and she has said and has demonstrated that she is studying the issues earnestly. She has signaled that she will answer the call if she is asked to run.
How would she stack up against Obama? I think his regime is plenty worried about it or they wouldn't be falling all over themselves to ridicule her and try to discredit her. But then I think Obama would be worried if his anticipated opponent was Mickey Mouse right now. He certainly would not like another contest with Hillary in it.
How would Sarah stack up against Hillary? I'm not sure. I think it really depends on whether Sarah can win the people's confidence as well as admiration. And that is too soon to tell yet.
How can one judge whether Obama had a "terrible" first year?
Did he keep many of his campaign promises? Yep. Even if you don't agree with him.
He got the Stimulus passed too.
I dunno what you were trying to say with this:
The only ones who will want Obama to campaign for them are those in heavily minority or welfare districts or so wacko leftwing that they won't vote for anything other than a liberal Democrat no matter who he or she is.
Especially when some of the people most upset with him are Liberals.
The Stock Market has improved under Obama and the amount of job losses is finally hitting near zero overall. We're not out of the woods yet, but getting there.
Meanwhile you prop up Palin to be some perfect figure. And you call Obama's Administration a "Regime".
I think if you take some of the things out of your post, it's not so horribly bias. However, otherwise, it's a joke and out of touch with reality.
Taking your last point first, the stock market has gained only because there is no economic growth, real estate continues to lose value, the dollar continues to lose value making it foolish to depend on any form of interest earnings, and the stock market is the only place left. Evenso, it has remained essentially flat for much of the year and every time it surges ahead a bit, Obama gets on television and says something to spook investors, and we lose a couple of hundred points. This has happened with such regularity, I suspect it is intentional. Perhaps so that he can continue to demonize Wall Street as his villain with impunity?
As for why he has had a really bad year, there is that and. . .
He promised no earmarks and then signed off on an enormous appropriations bill that was loaded with them.
He promised a fully transparent government with open debates and negotiations on C-Span and full disclosure of all legislation before he signed off on it, and then has almost completely ignored that campaign pledge.
He pushed through a massive stimulus package that has proved to be quite unpopular once it was discovered that it had been fraudulently represented to the people.
He promised to close GITMO within months of taking office. It is still open. (Actually conservatives like that but his constituency doesn't.)
He ordered government takeovers of financial institutions and the auto industry which has proved to be quite unpopular, especially when he used these as payola for his union buddies and refused to endorse any real reforms that might have made things better.
He has ordered Miranda rights read to terrorists and putting them on trial in U.S. courts which has proved to be unpopular even among much of his own constituency.
He has not been able to convince a single other nation to agree with a single one of his initiatives.
He couldn't get the Olympics.
He couldn't get Cap & Trade passed.
He couldn't get healthcare reform passed.
His poll numbers have been declining almost since day one as it becomes ever apparent that he has no clear convictions (that he dares make public anyway), no leadership ability, no influence on the international scene, and no ability to get done what he promises to do.
He was forced to give a State of the Union address without one major accomplishment that he could point to with pride despite having solid majorities in both houses of Congress and a favorable press unlike anything this country has ever seen.
And if the Democrats take a blood bath at the polls in November, he will be blamed for it.
That, my friend, is a really bad year.
You probably won't understand it since you seem to think I held up Sarah Palin as perfect which I didn't and nobody who was not totally biased would think that I did.