C'mon: None of these Republicans can beat Obama

That the Republican presidential candidates are unable to capitalize on the miserable state of the economy gives you some idea of how weak Obama’s opposition is. None of the major GOP candidates can beat John McCain’s 46 percent from 2008. Mitt Romney, who at this point seems the likeliest nominee, loses 45 percent to Obama’s 49 percent (a much smaller margin, I’ll grant you, than 2008’s 53-46 percent; the difference is the 7 percent who are undecided). Front-runner Rick Perry loses 41 percent to Obama’s 52 percent. (The poll was conducted before last night’s debate, so it doesn’t take into account Perry’s weak performance.) Newt Gingrich loses 41 percent to Obama’s 53 percent, and Michelle Bachmann loses 39 percent to 53 percent. With the exception of Romney, every one of these Republican clowns has negatives as high as or higher than Obama’s. Gingrich’s unfavorable rating is 57 percent, Bachmann’s is 53 percent, and Perry’s is 50 percent. Romney’s is only 44 percent.