I’d rather be a really good one-term president than a mediocre two-term president...There is a tendency in Washington to believe our job description, of elected officials, is to get reelected. That’s not our job description. Our job description is to solve problems and to help people.Whether he's serious or simply projecting earnestness, the idea of a one-term Obama presidency immediately excited conservatives. Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich prognosticated on Fox News that Obama is "probably a one-term president." That was plenty enough fodder for the conservative blogosphere to start salivating:
- Sounds Good to Me, writes Melanie Morgan: "A whole bunch of Americans are working real hard to make sure he gets his wish."
- Go Obama! writes Betsy Newmark: "The ambition to be a very good one-term president might be fine, but he left out the third, and more probable option. He could be a mediocre one-termer. We've had a lot more of those in our history. And after Obama's first year, mediocrity would be an improvement."
- Here's a Tip About America Dennis the Peasant writes: "America doesn't vote out really good presidents when it has the chance. It votes out people like Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter and Bush the Elder. Oh, and Herbert Hoover. You know, really bad presidents.
- Dems Ready to Go Down with the Ship? Joshuapundit writes: "He will stick to the script and keep going even if he destroys the Democrats in the process... They're all stuck now with the man who sits on the throne they moved heaven and earth to steal, and if it's coming back to haunt them, so be it. Share victory, share defeat."
- Let's Do Our Best to Help Him writes Astute Bloggers: "I think he may very well pull an LBJ or—to pick a more recent examples—a Dodd and withdraw to give the Democrats a chance in 2012. We can help, too! I think the GOP may very well retake both bodies of Congress and that if this happens Obama will not seek re-election."
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