Buyers remorse is most certainly the current feeling of many former Obama supporters. The guy did an amazing job of coming across as a healer, as one who was not steeped in the bitter divisiveness of partisan politics. But as soon as he took office, he governed as far to the left as any president we have ever had, and was petty and bitter towards the GOP who opposed him. The bottom line is this: He was, and is, in over his head. He lacked the executive experience that one needs to be president. He has become a national embarrassment. In hindsight, many OBama supporters from 2008 now realize that a part time law instructor and two year senator is not qualified to be president.

Once agian Mr. Jacoby you effort at defending your party is facile as you continue to propogate the same tired narrative. It's just amazing that despite all the empirical data proving that the stimulus had significant economic influence for the country you and your party continue to profess its failure -- and by stridently doing so it will somehow render its contribution nonexistent. Obviously the GOP isn't data driven and has thus desperately altered their platform to emphasize a "social" platform where they can espouse ideology rather than fact. The GOP fall from grace and honor is rather sad. Wasn't the Republican Party once known as the "grand Old Party"? Well that certainly isn't relevant anymore. But take solace. The "old" part is still true. However, I'd choose the word antiquated... and desperate. It's rather pathetic that the GOP has desperately turned the election into a referendum on culture, turning a once successful moderate Republican into a right wing, ultra-conservative tea party shill who now just tows the party line and espouses the robotic rhetoric of government distrust, gun-owner rights and reversing Roe v. Wade -- which is in itself rather hypocritical considering your party believes in freedom of choosing which guns to own but not in allowing a woman to choose period.

jeff, all your wishing can never change Romney's character or give him any core beliefs. Americans know that and will reject him and the psrty in November.

So now, since none of the more mainstream strategy's of hammering away at the present administration on real issues; the economy, education, foreign policy, defense, climate, energy, etc. aren't gaining traction, Republicans are relying on framing the President as anti-american? That's the plan? Are you kidding?

What Ex-Congressman Davis saw, after being soundly defeated in his state's Democratic Gubernatorial Primary, was that the prospects for rapid advancement for a telegenic black politician were far greater in the Republican party. His change of heart is no more believable than the color of Reagan's hair, or Romney's current political stances.

Striking the reasonable, measured tone today, are we? Does Eric call the tempo daily, or are you guys allowed to riff all on your own? Because you seem like a different person from one post to the next. Different talking points of the day, or different talkers?

Mr. Jacoby, can you at least pretend you're not simply transcribing the ramblings of some flunky in Romney's campaign organization? Or is that too much to ask?

"It's OK to..." Can you imagine Jeff Jacoby as your therapist? The mere thought is enough to send me screaming into the street. Let's get back to some old-fashioned, boring reality-based reality. Barack Obama has been a very moderate president, too moderate for many of his followers. Not bold enough. It is the Republican Party that's taken a hard right turn to the never-never land of anti-science, misogyny, and voter suppression. of A number of Obama's most controversial policies were initially advocated by Republican think tanks or actually implemented by Republican officials. Get a grip, Jeff. The voices you hear are just in your head.

"I voted for a change," says a Pittsburgh voter, "but really — nothing happened." _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________So, now they vote for change again in 2012. If Romney is elected, and they still haven't seen any 'change' they will flock to yet another 'savior.' _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________The whole aim of practical politics is to keep the populace alarmed (and hence clamorous to be led to safety) by menacing it with an endless series of hobgoblins, all of them imaginary. _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________And on and on and on.

'Romney's nationally televised acceptance speech may be his best chance before November to assure ambivalent voters that his core beliefs are not apt to shift with the prevailing breezes.' What 'core beliefs?' I don't see any. Health care, LGBT equality, taxes vs fees... I could go on, but why bother?

Romney is a charisma-free, successful businessman with an exemplary family life. He has shown no political backbone and core beliefs. He is a political opportunist at best and a shameless liar at worst. He's pandered to the most conservative economic and social wing of the party. Yet, he expect the public to look at an etch-a-sketch more moderate candidate in the fall. His lack of leadership to *EVER* proudly stand up for what he believes rather than for what his audience wants to hear is what dooms his candidacy. Obama is not perfect, and his lofty rhetoric has fallen short of his accomplishments. However, he has managed to prevent a recession from becoming a depression, largely on his insistance that the auto bailout get done fast. Romney's bankruptcy idea would have dragged out uncertainty for a long time. Lawyers woudl have won, but everyone else would have been the loser. He has kept the country safe, and mended some broken fences overseas, while still taking out Bin Laden, and continuing to violate Pakistani sovereignty in our national security interest. He's not afraid to act.

What is this myth, this love affair with core beliefs. Romney has a core belief it is in himself. "Core beliefs" people act as if they are some holy grail when they are in fact nothing but wisps of air for convenience sake. Tell me your vision, I have no interest in your fantasy beliefs. Romney has a vision. It is a vision of an America where the losers lose and it's their own fault and the winners win because they deserve to win, because God deemed it so, that is core to his vision and beliefs. Others have a vision of America as a community, others see the world as full of winners and losers and yes indeed users. But we do not punish the losers because of the faults of the users and we do not see ourselves as somehow blessed by God on high. We consider ourselves lucky. Romney has a vision and it isn't pretty.

Honestly, I think you give him too much credit. From where I stand Romney's vision is Romney in the Oval Office, succeeding at the last big job he sees as a vindication of his life and wealth. What I see is comparable to the underpants gnomes in South Park--"step 1, run for president; step 2, *shrug*; step 3, win!" and then he's hired whoever he needed in order to tell him what he has to do for step 2 to get him there. "Well to win the nomination, you have to suck up to the right-wing extreme social conservative Christian fundamentalists", check. Anyway, Jacoby can say "rebooting" his image, but we all know he really means shaking the Etch-a-Sketch to get everyone to forget all the things he said to get nominated because they won't get him elected.

Mitt was and remains a phony, despicable vulture capitalist. As in the KB Toy company story, one of the many Mitt was instrumental in bankrupting.

"Self-interest is the essence of politics." /// Come on isn't that just a tad cynical? Frankly, if you've sunk to that level of dispair, why even bother reading the news. The are some driven by other forces, After all, if it was pure self-interest why would anyone put themselves in the 'ring' where, more often than not, they will be dissected and rejected, and possibly destroyed. Much easier to just fund other fools, true believers, to do your bidding, ala Koch Bros.

"I can't have illegals working on my property; I'm running for President for Pete's sake!! Holy Cow, get'em out of here! Where's that Pedro....I need a word with him...Jimminy Crickets!!"