Obama...building his legacy, one failure after another.....
PJ should be quite hysterical Tuesday evening, into Wednesday, as the results roll in (regardless of how many gains the GOP makes, or not)
Obama’s Midterm Loss Record Could Make History
http://www3.blogs.rollcall.com/rothenblog/obama-poised-to-set-new-midterm-loss-record/
Yes, I assume there will be a midterm loss, and probably a big one. I have no idea whether it will be an historically big one, but it could be. There's a long tradition of historically large losses for Democrats after they accomplish something good for the American people (as with the Democrats being punished for Clinton putting America on the right path in his first couple years, or like the Democrats being punished for Johnson divorcing the Democratic party from the cause of segregation).
As for Obama's legacy, it depends on whether you care more about partisan considerations or the American people. From the perspective of someone who cares mostly about partisan considerations, the Obama presidency's legacy will be at least a short-term weakening of the Democratic party in the political game. From the perspective of someone who treats politics less as a sport where you root for your team and more as a means for accomplishing improvements in the lives of the people, Obama's legacy will be strong.
Pretty much every indicator of national well-being has either improved on his watch, or at least is now improving, after having shed the negative momentum of the Bush years earlier in his presidency. Unemployment is down, poverty is falling, inflation is ultra-low, interest rates are low, median incomes are rising, murder and violent crime rates are down, deficits are way down, US approval ratings abroad are up, KIAs are down, losses to terrorists have been negligible, stocks prices are up, home prices are up, real GDP per capita is up, average debt per household is down, teen pregnancy rates are down, abortion rates are down, bankruptcies are down, and on and on.
I'm a fan of actual sports, so I don't need to get that particular "rooting for my team" thrill from counting up the "score" of races won or lost by a favored party. For me, politics isn't a spectator sport, existing for the entertainment of viewers. Instead, it's a means for accomplishing improvements in the lives of the American people. Judged by that standard, the legacy of the Obama era will be better lives for the majority of us.
