What I think we are seeing today is the fracturing of the Reagan Coalition:

[denem]

An election every bit as important as

1912, 1932, 1968 and 1980.

Reagan famously said he never met a man he didn't like who had an R after his name. Now we have

Mitt (Wealth, Pedigree)
Paul (Libertarian)
Santorum (Hawk,Catholic)
Newt (Hammer.machine man)
Perry (Southern RW Evangelical)
Huntsman (Conservative)

Reagan, and GWB for that matter kept these strands together, but Mitt is such a problematic candidate, the whole caboodle is coming apart at the seams.

Obama, by nature is not a divide and rule politician. As he says with some conviction, 'out of many, one'. But a politician he is, a politician who learnt more than a little in Chicago. One of the first moves he made in the 2007/8 campaign was to neuter Bill Clinton thus hobbling the Clinton game plan. Tagging WJC with racism was as dirty as it was effective. Not to mention audacious. I doubt Bill ever saw the result in SC coming.

Transformative presidencies tear the opposition into pieces. I would be surprised if Obama passed up this opportunity. He has seen enough of what a monolithic voting block looks like. As for the GOP, it's out of one, many.

[tabatha]

1. As much as Paul scares me

I am glad he is in the debates to pour cold water on some of the right wing crap. And since he does it, others do too. And since Bush created such a mess, to get votes, some of them are smart enough to understand the problems of the voters - which makes them step a little to the left.

[denem]

3. Yes. There's always been a libertarian/isolationist wing in the GOP

but as the other wings become less accommodating, the perspex is cracking. I think it's history in the making.

The GOP will reform, but into what exactly? The Dems folded into the DLC, and that left a lot of unhappy campers.

[denem]

4. I don't give him credit, but I can see the opportunity

if he snatches it.

It's easy to forget in this compromise presidency the no nonsense number he did on the Clinton machine.

[NewImproved Deal]

5. Excellent insights...

The Plutocratic, Fundamentalist and Libertarian factions in the GOP are ultimately irreconcilable. With the enormous scorn now held against Plutocratic arrogance and parasitism Candidate Romney will have no appeal to moderates and independents.

[rurallib]

6. Is it enough to finally get working people

to quit voting for Republicans?
Nothing drives me more crazy than to hear some guy making $8/hr say he votes republican.

[denem]

7. I think "When Mitt Romney came to town"

will turn a few heads. It's razor sharp.

[tularetom]

8. Romney is a caricature of the well bred country club republican of the past

Lighting cigars with $100 bills and looking like the Monopoly guy wouldn't scream "1%" any louder than he already does.

Obama may have missed a trick by failing to jump on the occupy bandwagon, but he's smart enough to grab an opportunity like the republicans nominating an out of touch brain dead Richie Rich at a time when the middle class is rapidly going down the crapper.

[denem]

9. And there's one more thing - pivoting the disgrace of unemployment

onto the Job Cremators.

If it's the private sector that creates jobs, not government,
it's the private sector that cremates them too

And what a gift he has been given "When Mitt Romney came to town"

It's like something out of "The Producers"

Springtime for Mittens and the GOP.

[Odin2005]

10. The PTB are trying to ride to Christo-Fascist tiger.

And the tiger is trying to buck them and eat them.