IS IT POSSIBLE? – AT 8:39 A.M. ET:  Silvio Canto Jr. alerts us to a radio appearance by Wall Street Journal writer John Fund, one of the best political reporters around.  Fund suggests – and we humbly note that we've made this point here – that Mr. Obama might be prevailed upon not to seek reelection if conditions in the country continue. 

That is the Lyndon Johnson scenario.  After winning a landslide victory in 1964, with Hubert Humphrey of Minnesota as his running mate, Johnson became increasingly unpopular, especially within his own party, over the Vietnam War.  Much of the unpopularity was undeserved (not the case with Obama), with some of it ginned up by the Kennedy family.  Johnson decided in 1968 not to run for reelection.  In a national convention in Chicago, Humphrey won the Democratic nomination and came within a hair of victory, losing to Richard Nixon in November because so many Democrats stayed home. 

Could this happen again?  Could Obama be prevailed upon to withdraw, or withdraw on his own, clearing the way for Hillary Clinton?  My guess is that it's highly unlikely.  Obama is a supreme egotist.  He has bought into the line that he has been sent by some higher political power to save us, and that only he can.  But if we were wise, he'd pull out.  Either he'll lose next November, or win only a symbolic victory.  Presidents' second terms are usually less successful than their first, as they lose political clout, even within their own parties.  Obama is unsuccessful enough already.

Oh, by the way, has anyone seen Hillary?  I think I saw her on a milk carton.  She seems to be lying low, maybe praying for bad jobs figures.  She's already indicated that she'll leave the administration after the first term anyway, so we know she won't be holding her current post very long.  Her husband remains a Democratic power.  Is something brewing?  Well, that's delicious speculation.  I'm assuming, though, that the ticket will be Obama/Biden, unless the economy becomes so bad that even Dems start calling the president Herbert Hoover Obama.

Stay tuned.

September 16, 2011