What Obama does best

What’s new Today

Story #1 is looks at the unemployment rate questioning what the real rate is.  With Tebowmania a fact of sports life, why not look at Tebow vs Obama, not as athletes, but as leaders.  One guess which one fares better in story #2.  Looking at 12 key swing states in #3 we see both Romney and Gingrich winning there.  #4 looks at what Obama seems to think his job is.  #5 has Obama admitting the obvious. 

1.  What’s the real Unemployment Rate?

The unemployment rate dropped to 8.6% in November 2011 from 9% in October. That’s a 4-tenths-of-one-percent drop, which is hyped as huge. If it were true. To get to 8.6%, September and October jobs were adjusted up. HERE ARE 17 THINGS TO THINK ABOUT AND HOW THE MATH WORKS….

http://www.maggiesnotebook.com/2011/12/unemployment-8-6-corrupt-heres-the-math-not-fuzzy-but-corrupt-17-things-to-think-about/

If you are a math nerd like I am, this offers a lot of good information. Using the numbers in the 17 points, you can figure out the actual unemployment rate and it slightly over 10 percent (that’s when you add in the people who have been unsuccessful and stopped looking for work). 

2.  Tebow vs Obama

Last night, watching Denver quarterback Tim Tebow’s post-game press appearance and President Obama’s interview on CBS’s 60 Minutes, I was struck by the fact that ONE MAN IS OFFERING HIS TEAM (AND THE COUNTRY ACTUALLY) THE LEADERSHIP THEY NEED WHILE THE OTHER IS TRAPPED IN TRADITIONAL DISCOURSE AND SCORING POLITICAL POINTS.

Tebow is not even close to the most physically talented quarterback in the NFL (and he probably isn’t even the most physically talented quarterback on his own team), but he has taken a team sitting in the cellar and lifted it up to playoff contention.

Do I buy into some intervention by God because Tebow is a man of incredible religious faith? No. I do believe there is a divine presence in every one of us and in everything, and the power of that presence remains a mystery of the ages. It can’t be proven or disproven by an intellectual conversation or scientific method, but it is hard not to accept if you are a person of faith and connection to something outside our mere humanity. Yet THAT IS NOT WHAT THIS DENVER RISE AND WINNING STREAK IS ABOUT.

First, I would be very surprised if God is concerned about whether one NFL team is winning and whether one is losing. Even if God was concerned, I would hope he would have helped my hometown team -- the Detroit Lions -- who have had no success in the Super Bowl era.

Second, there are many players of faith on every team in the NFL, so I don’t think the Creator is picking and choosing which player or team or faith He likes more or less.

I DO THINK THIS TEBOW BOOMLET IS ABOUT FAITH. AND IT’S ABOUT CONFIDENCE. AND LEADERSHIP. AND HUMILITY -- a humbleness born of strength and conviction. It is about Tebow’s faith in his own teammates. It is about his faith and confidence in his own organization. It is about him acknowledging his own weaknesses and failings and mistakes and understanding that if his team looks good, then he looks good….

http://www.nationaljournal.com/columns/common-sense/quarterbacking-our-country-tebow-style-20111212

The author brings up a huge part of leadership, that is, faith in those who are with you and a realization their success is your success.  Obama went after the golden ring of left wing politics, a universal healthcare law even while the country was in a deep economic slide.  We now effectively have a 10% unemployment rate (if you add back in the 2.5 million who have dropped out of the workforce), a $1.5 trillion annual deficit, and multiple scandal involving crony capitalism. He can’t take credit for Obamacare because of its popularity and we are seeing him trying to blame Bush, the internet, the rich, and anyone else he can think of.  He has failed as a leader.   

3.   Both Romney and Gingrich would Beat Obama in Key Swing States

According to a new USA Today/Gallup poll, both Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich would defeat President Obama in the general election in twelve key swing states. Romney is polling five points ahead of Obama, 48 percent to 43 percent, while Gingrich is three points ahead, 48 percent to 45 percent.

http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/285656/romney-gingrich-would-both-beat-obama-swing-states-katrina-trinko

It this important?  Not yet, but it is interesting.  If you look you see 48% for both Romney and Gingrich with Obama getting another 2% when matched up against Gingrich.  This is probably the upper limit to what Obama can expect to get.  I say upper limit because right now both Romney and Gingrich are being attacked (by each other and the Democrats) while Obama is pretty much being left alone.  When the campaign actually begins and you see the ads of Obama promising X and delivering Y, you will see that number erode. 

4.   Obama's job: Talk, talk, talk

If you want to know why President Obama spends so much time talking instead of diligently working to turn the economy around, he gave the answer on Sunday night.

In an eye-opening interview on “60 Minutes,” THE PRESIDENT SAID THE WORD “JOB” 12 TIMES. SEVEN OF THEM WERE IN REFERENCE TO HIS OWN JOB OR THAT OF HIS ATTORNEY GENERAL. Three of them came in this statement:

“It is my job to put forward a vision of the country that benefits the vast majority of Americans. It is my job to make sure that my party is behind those initiatives, even if sometimes it's breakin' some china and goin' against some of the dogmas of our party in the past. We've done that on things like education reform. And it's my job to rally the American people around that vision.”

NOTHING HAS BETTER SUMMED UP OBAMA'S VIEW OF A PRESIDENT'S RESPONSIBILITIES. IT CAN BE SHORTENED TO ONE WORD: TALK.

That is all a President has to do to “put forward a vision,” get his own party behind it, and “rally the American people” around it. And that is almost all Barack Obama has done since taking office. HE IS A RHETORICAL PRESIDENT.

At the end of his “60 Minutes” interview, he expressed, with more rhetoric, how he intends to campaign for reelection next year.

His message: “That reversing a culture here in Washington, dominated by special interests, it was gonna take more than a year. It was gonna take more than two years. It was gonna take more than one term. Probably takes more than one President.”

That is his pitch. UNABLE TO RUN ON HIS RECORD, HE WILL RUN ON PRECISELY THE SAME THEME HE EMPLOYED IN 2008: VAGUE, EMPTY PROMISES TO OPPOSE SPECIAL INTERESTS AND WASHINGTON CULTURE. The President who is all talk will continue to do nothing but talk. THERE WILL BE NO REAL SOLUTIONS, NO SUBSTANTIVE, CREDIBLE PLAN TO RETURN AMERICA TO PROSPERITY — MERELY MORE WORDS THAT CAST OBAMA AS THE LONE HERO DOING BATTLE WITH FACELESS VILLAINS IN BLACK HATS AND EXPENSIVE TOP COATS….

http://www.unionleader.com/article/20111213/OPINION01/712139997

Obama’s success in life has been his ability to talk.  That is the reason why he kept coming on TV and making campaign stops to get Obamacare passed.  In the end, for all his talking it didn’t make any difference.  All of his talk didn’t persuade the American public to support it.  It was old fashion political bribes and pressure that got congress to pass it.     

5.  Obama beseeches supporters to stay with him

Imploring supporters to stick with him, President Barack Obama acknowledged Tuesday that his re-election is "not a slam dunk" — despite his administration's achievements — because of understandable public skepticism over the economy.

Addressing donors at a hotel near the White House, the president drew attention to his efforts to heal the economy, save the auto industry, end the Iraq war and overhaul health care.

But he said: "All those things don't mean that much to somebody who's still out of work right now. Or whose house is still underwater by $100,000."

Obama said his campaign will have to fight to take its message to voters. "This is going to be tough," he said.

http://news.yahoo.com/obama-beseeches-supporters-stick-him-183344380.html

I thought the last statement I posted was the most understated comment I’ve heard so far this year.  It’s going to be tough????? 

Obama, the Occupy Movement, and Business

What’s new today

Our #1 we learn under President Obama the American standard of living has gone down.  #2 then questions whether President Obama knows what his job is supposed to be? Article #3 show President Obama telling a crowd it’s okay to clap.  #4 is a story of how the government is guaranteeing the loan for a new electric car company which current is building the cars in Finland.  Article 5 is video where union teachers talk about how you push Marx in the classroom.  #6 explains why business is freaking out under Obama.  #7 explains the anti-Semitism you are hearing at OWS.  #8 is a video by Felonius Munk on what the OWS needs to do.  Finally, just for fun, #9 tells you 50 things you’ve learned from the movies.

1.  American Standard of Living Drops

Think life is not as good as it used to be, at least in terms of your wallet? You'd be right about that. The standard of living for Americans has fallen longer and more steeply over the past three years than at any time since the US government began recording it five decades ago.

Bottom line: The average individual now has $1,315 less in disposable income than he or she did three years ago at the onset of the Great Recession – even though the recession ended, technically speaking, in mid-2009. That means less money to spend at the spa or the movies, less for vacations, new carpeting for the house, or dinner at a restaurant.

In short, it means a less vibrant economy, with more Americans spending primarily on necessities. The diminished standard of living, moreover, is squeezing the middle class, whose restlessness and discontent are evident in grass-roots movements such as the tea party and "Occupy Wall Street" and who may take out their frustrations on incumbent politicians in next year's election….

http://www.cnbc.com/id/44962589

Well I guess Obama won’t be asking the voters if they are better off than they were four years ago. 

2.  Does Obama know what his job is?

Listening to President Obama speak at event after event, the question that continues to come to mind is this: does this guy understand what his job actually is?

The president continually sounds very much like a fire marshal. He sounds like that guy who has the job of discovering the root cause of a fire, determining if it had been set deliberately, and if it had been, identifying the perpetrator and bringing him to justice.

This is an important function, to be sure, and in no way is it a minor responsibility. Unfortunately, Mr. Obama seems confused about his job responsibilities. In 2008 he was not elected to be the nation's fire marshal.

He was hired to be the nation's chief fireman….

http://www.americanthinker.com/2011/10/mr_president_do_you_recall_what_your_job_is.html

This is an interesting analogy which goes to the heart of what Obama’s problem is.  He’s not doing his job. 

3.  Obama gives permission to clap

Obama visited Fire Station 9 to draw attention to a major piece of his $447-billion jobs package. HE WANTS TO SPREAD $35 BILLION AMONG STATES AND CITIES, IN PART TO PREVENT LAYOFFS OF POLICE AND FIREFIGHTERS, AND WOULD PAY FOR IT WITH A SURTAX ON MILLIONAIRES. Congress may vote on that measure as early as this week.

On Wednesday afternoon, Obama stood at a lectern against a backdrop of firefighters and offered his prescription for solving the persistent jobs crisis: "A fair shot for everybody; a fair share from everybody. That's the principle that built America."

THE PRESIDENT GOT A POLITE RECEPTION FROM THE 100 OR SO PEOPLE CROWDED INTO THE STATION GARAGE. Early in his speech he mentioned his American Jobs Act.

One or two people clapped.

"YOU CAN GO AHEAD AND CLAP," THE PRESIDENT SAID. "GO AHEAD, NOTHING WRONG WITH IT."

What an embarrassment.

This entire "CLASS WARFARE TOUR" HAS BEEN A BUST. He tried to do a balancing act with the OWS crowd, endorsing their protest without endorsing some of the loonier and hateful things that are coming out of the encampments. He tried pretending his jobs bill isn't dead. He tried to rev up crowds by getting them angry at "millionaires and billionaires" without much success.

Nobody is listening and few care. HE ALREADY GIVES OF THE STENCH OF NOT A LAME DUCK, BUT A DEAD DUCK - A FAILED ONE TERM PRESIDENCY that people will talk about in the same breath as Jimmy Carter.

http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2011/10/obamas_bus_tour_a_flat_failure.html

Not only can Barack Obama not walk on water, it appears he can’t swim.

4.  The Next Green Scandal?

There's been considerable coverage of the Department of Energy's $534-million loan guarantee to bankrupt Solyndra. But lurking unnoticed is a similar $529 million DOE GRANT TO FISKER AUTOMOTIVE TO BUILD THE HIGH-END HYBRID KARMA AND EVENTUALLY MID-PRICED SEDANS. WITH HYUNDAI, TOYOTA, PORSCHE, AND GM BUILDING HYBRIDS, WHY IS THE GOVERNMENT FUNDING AN AUTOMOTIVE STARTUP?

Fisker's people believe that they can build a car with more consumer appeal. Are they right? The market will let them know, just like it has for Chevy Volt.

There are two considerations involved. First is the Karma itself, and second is the government loan in light of the Solyndra revelations….

… FISKER ALSO CLAIMS A "50 MILES ALL ELECTRIC" RANGE, adding that "Most people travel less than 35 miles/56 km per day." The question unanswered is under what driving conditions was battery range determined. Do they mean covering 50 miles in one hour, or two? While battery-only operation sounds very green, how ecological is it when the recharging current is generated by an icky coal-fired plant?

As for being an American job-generator, THE KARMA IS CURRENTLY BEING BUILT IN FINLAND, AND ACCORDING TO CAR AND DRIVER, THE ELECTRIC MOTORS UTILIZED ARE A PRODUCT OF CHINA….

http://www.americanthinker.com/2011/10/will_fisker_motors_be_another_solyndra.html

The government has a bigger stake in this than do private investors.  Should the government be acting as venture capitalists?

5.      Union Teachers Explain How to Push Marxism in the Classroom

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dDeXhmTz_0M

What I find humorous is that these teachers think teaching history and critical thinking will push Marxism and Socialism.  In fact, both of these have been discredited.  The 20^th Century showed us the evils of the Progressive Movement with hundreds of millions dying for Progressive sins. 

6.  Why Business is Freaking Out Under Obama

It’s understandable why many left-of-center economics columnists—such as Paul Krugman of the New York Times, Ezra Klein of the Washington Post, and Kevin Drum of Mother Jones—SIMPLY HATE THE IDEA THAT POLICY UNCERTAINTY MAY BE A HUGE DRAG ON BUSINESS AND THE ECONOMY. It’s the Obama administration, after all, that wants to raise taxes during an anemic recovery, has no long-term debt plan, and thinks the economy is under-regulated. And to be sure, policy uncertainty isn’t the only economic problem facing America or hurting business sentiment. But it’s likely a significant one. Here’s why:

1. Uncertainty Index. University of Chicago business PROFESSOR STEVEN DAVIS HAS CONSTRUCTED A “POLICY UNCERTAINTY” INDEX based on a) the frequency of newspaper references to economic policy uncertainty, b) the number of federal tax code provisions set to expire in future years, and c) the extent of forecaster disagreement over future inflation and federal government purchases.

His goal is to investigate the claim that “businesses and households are uncertain about future taxes, spending levels, regulations, health-care reform, and interest rates. In turn, THIS UNCERTAINTY LEADS THEM TO POSTPONE SPENDING ON INVESTMENT AND CONSUMPTION GOODS AND TO SLOW HIRING, impeding the recovery.” Looking at a variety of events including the stimulus and debt ceiling debates, DAVIS CONCLUDES “POLICY RELATED UNCERTAINTY PLAYED A ROLE IN THE SLOW GROWTH AND FITFUL RECOVERY” OF THE PAST FEW YEARS.

2. Gloomy entrepreneurs. UNCERTAINTY MAY BE COSTING THE UNITED STATES SOME 2.5 MILLION JOBS, according to Davis. But uncertainty over what, exactly? Well, the US Chamber of Commerce recently conducted a survey of small business and found that while 53 PERCENT SAID ECONOMIC UNCERTAINTY WAS THE MOST-PRESSING CONCERN, 39 PERCENT ALSO SUFFER FROM UNCERTAINTY ABOUT WHAT WASHINGTON WILL DO NEXT.

Drilling down further, 79 percent said they would rather Washington “get out of the way” than offer a “helping hand,” and 83 percent said the growing U.S. national debt is making them anxious. What’s more, a recent survey from the NATIONAL FEDERATION OF INDEPENDENT BUSINESS (NFIB) FOUND THAT WHILE 25 PERCENT CITED “POOR SALES” AS THEIR BIGGEST PROBLEM, 37 PERCENT BLAMED EITHER REGULATIONS (19 PERCENT) OR TAXES (18 PERCENT).

http://blog.american.com/2011/10/5-reasons-why-obama-really-is-freaking-out-business/

Keep reading for the last three reasons business is freaking out under Obama. 

7.   Occupy Wall Street’s Anti-Semitic Origins

Sometimes IT SEEMS AS IF EVERY TIME SOMEONE IN THE TEA PARTY BREATHES THE MAINSTREAM PRESS FINDS A WAY TO LABEL IT AS RACIST OR PROMOTING VIOLENCE. Yet all of THE ANTI-SEMITIC POSTERS, CHANTS AND COMMENTS AS WELL AS THE ONES DEMONIZING ISRAEL MADE BY THE OCCUPY WALL STREET PROTESTERS ARE VIRTUALLY IGNORED MY THE MEDIA. Making matters worse, the media has been negligent in performing its investigative duties because with just a little research they would discover that the Antisemitism may be a symptom of the fact that THERE ARE VIRULENT JEW-HATERS AND ISRAEL-BASHERS IN THE RANKS OF OWS'S FOUNDING "FATHERS.”

Take Adbusters for example…

…From cynically squandering billions of dollars of taxpayer money each year in gifts to the apartheid state of Israel…

… Often enough, the true aim of the Zionist lobbies is concealed. Instead the Zionist lobbies promote some righteous phony humanitarian alternatives….

… we live in a planned socialist/communist economy now because the means of every transaction is regulated by a centrally planned bank. The Federal Reserve (UNDER THE JEWISH LEADERSHIP OF VOLCKER, GREENSPAN, AND NOW BERNANKE...ALONG WITH WITH THE TREASURY....AND PARTNERED WITH LARGE BANKING INSTITUTIONS SUCH AS JP MORGAN, B OF A, GOLDMAN SACHS ET AL.) control the volume and circulation of money….

http://yidwithlid.blogspot.com/2011/10/occupy-wall-streets-anti-semitic.html

OWS appears to be everything the TEA Party isn’t, yet the MSM accuses the TEA Party of being.  The Democrats are carefully embracing the movement leaving room to disavow them at any time. 

8.      Felonious Munk Presents: Stop It B! Occupy Wall Street?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XO09fo4s1Vk&feature=youtu.be

A Comedian looks at Occupy Wall Street.  It’s not rated PG. 

9.  50 Things I Learned From The Movies

Below is a pretty great list of 50 things that all of us have learned from movies. (via)

1. All telephone numbers in America begin with the digits 555.

2. Medieval peasants had perfect teeth.

3. The ventilation system of any building is the perfect hiding place. No one will ever think of looking for you in there, and you can travel to any other part of the building you want without difficulty.

4. Any person waking from a nightmare will sit bolt upright and pant.

5. It is always possible to park directly outside the building you are visiting

http://pleated-jeans.com/2011/09/05/50-things-i-learned-from-the-movies/#more-14111?utm_source=theslingshot&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=5-things-i-learned-from-the-movies

This is kind of a fun read.  I especially liked 11. Cars that crash will almost always burst into flames.  Actually I would add to that spectacularly burst into flames.

Obama and Jobs

If you love him “pass the jobs bill”

Even if Congress heeds President Obama's demands to "pass this bill right away" and enacts his jobs and tax plan in its entirety, the unemployment rate probably still would hover in nosebleed territory for at least three more years…

…Economists of all stripes pretty much agree that it will be a long, hard road no matter what Congress does. Right now, the Republicans who run the House and the Democrats who lead the Senate aren't finding much common ground…

The projection of 1.9 million new jobs, a 1 percentage point drop in the unemployment rate and a 2 percentage point increase in the gross domestic product under Obama's PLAN CAME FROM MARK ZANDI, CHIEF ECONOMIST OF MOODY'S ANALYTICS.

BUT ZANDI SAID IN AN INTERVIEW HIS FORECAST ALSO IS BASED ON AN ASSUMPTION THAT "THE PRESIDENT'S ENTIRE PACKAGE IS PASSED BY THE END OF THE YEAR," a slim prospect given the current divided leadership in Congress, and that there are no other budgetary policy changes.

"I assumed that it would be paid for," Zandi said. "I didn't know when I did that simulation how the president proposed to pay for it."

Since then, Obama has said he would pay for his $447 billion package with permanent income tax increases of about $150 billion a year, mostly on wealthy individuals and corporations, in addition to spending cuts. That's drawn criticism from Republicans, who say any tax increases could further stall the fragile recovery.

Zandi, who has advised both Republican and Democratic lawmakers, said he's still sticking with his forecast, mainly because the stimulus in the plan, including a temporary reduction in Social Security taxes for both employees and employers and infrastructure spending, would come in 2012 and be paid for later.

But there is one feature Obama doesn't emphasize.

ZANDI SAID HIS JOB-CREATION FIGURE ONLY APPLIES TO 2012.

"BEGINNING IN 2013, AND CERTAINLY INTO 2014, THE PLAN IS A DRAG ON THE ECONOMY BECAUSE THE STIMULUS STARTS FADING AWAY," HE SAID. "SO BY 2015, THE ECONOMY IS IN THE SAME PLACE AS NOW, AS IF THERE WERE NO JOBS PACKAGE."…

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2011/09/24/obamas-jobs-plan-wouldnt-make-huge-dent-in-jobless-rate-economists-say/#ixzz1YuKsX6Ii

It appears Obama’s job package is designed to save his job, not yours. 

You probably don’t love him if you are in the coal industry

This article is a few days old, but it is worth a mention nonetheless. Susan Kraemer at CleanTechnica  can barely contain her excitement at the prospect of environmental regulations. In an article titled "OBAMA'S EPA CUES 130 BILLION RACE TO CUT POLLUTION BY 2015", she reports that THE EPA WILL SHUT DOWN 20 PERCENT OF COAL PLANTS THROUGH THE CROSS-STATE AIR POLLUTION RULE. She acknowledges the cost of these regulations ($130 billion), but insists that this is actually good for the economy.

How, pray tell, does $130 billion in regulatory expenses transform into a $130 billion boon?

Because it will push coal plants out of the way and free up energy production for green technology, of course!...

http://townhall.com/tipsheet/helenwhalencohen/2011/09/24/epa_to_shut_down_20_of_coal_plants_in_2012

Unfortunately, green technology is a lot more expensive than coal is and therefore all the money will come from electricity users in the form of more expensive electricity.  And when they are paying more for electricity, they can’t spend that money on going out for dinner or buying a new car.  In fact there is no boon by doing what the EPA will be doing. 

Another “Jobs” move by Obama

ASTHMA PATIENTS WHO RELY ON OVER-THE-COUNTER INHALERS WILL NEED TO SWITCH TO PRESCRIPTION-ONLY ALTERNATIVES AS PART OF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT'S LATEST ATTEMPT TO PROTECT THE EARTH'S ATMOSPHERE.

The Food and Drug Administration said Thursday patients who use the epinephrine inhalers to treat mild asthma WILL NEED TO SWITCH BY DEC. 31 to other types that do not contain chlorofluorocarbons, an aerosol substance once found in a variety of spray products.

The action is part of an agreement signed by the U.S. and other nations to stop using substances that deplete the ozone layer, a region in the atmosphere that helps block harmful ultraviolet rays from the Sun.

But the switch to a greener inhaler will cost consumers more. EPINEPHRINE INHALERS ARE AVAILABLE VIA ONLINE RETAILERS FOR AROUND $20, WHEREAS THE ALTERNATIVES, WHICH CONTAIN THE DRUG ALBUTEROL, RANGE FROM $30 TO $60.

http://www.weeklystandard.com/blogs/obama-administration-ban-asthma-inhalers-over-environmental-concerns_594113.html

Think about it.  By requiring people with asthma to use prescription products, they increase the work for doctors, pharmacists, and if people can’t afford them, more people for ER rooms and ultimately Funeral Directors.  Not only that but it will cut down the number of people who will collect on Social Security.  Way to go O!!

Lowest Rating Ever for Obama

This week’s ECONOMIST/YOUGOV POLL IS FULL OF BAD NEWS FOR PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA. The frontrunners for the GOP nomination in the 2012 contest are pulling very close to him in head-to-head matchups, and his approval rating has been at or near the lowest levels of his Presidency for the last few weeks. And the worrisome economy keeps it there: THIS WEEK JUST 36% APPROVE OF THE WAY HE IS HANDING HIS JOB OVERALL, the lowest rating ever in the two and a half years of his Presidency….

http://today.yougov.com/news/2011/09/23/problems-president-americans-give-him-lowest-appro/

Obama’s numbers continue to fall.  There isn’t much hope for Obama to avoid a change in November 2012. 

Left Behind: How Democrats Are Losing the Political Center

…In mid-2005, as disaffection with the Bush administration and the Republican Party was gathering momentum, THE PEW RESEARCH CENTER ASKED AMERICAN TO PLACE THEMSELVES AND THE POLITICAL PARTIES ON A STANDARD LEFT-RIGHT IDEOLOGICAL CONTINUUM. At that time, average voters saw themselves as JUST RIGHT OF CENTER AND EQUIDISTANT FROM THE TWO POLITICAL PARTIES. INDEPENDENTS CONSIDERED THEMSELVES TWICE AS FAR AWAY FROM THE REPUBLICAN PARTY AS FROM THE DEMOCRATS, presaging their sharp shift toward the Democrats in the 2006 mid-term election.

In August of this year, Pew posed a very similar question (note to survey wonks: Pew used a five-point scale, versus six in 2005), but the results were very different. Although AVERAGE VOTERS CONTINUE TO SEE THEMSELVES AS JUST RIGHT OF CENTER, THEY NOW PLACE THEMSELVES TWICE AS FAR AWAY FROM THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY AS FROM THE REPUBLICANS. In addition, Independents now see themselves as significantly closer to the Republican Party, reversing their perceptions of six years ago.

There’s another difference as well. In 2005, Republicans’ and Democrats’ views of their own parties dovetailed with the perceptions of the electorate as a whole. TODAY, WHILE VOTERS AS A WHOLE AGREE WITH REPUBLICANS’ EVALUATION OF THEIR PARTY AS CONSERVATIVE, THEY DISAGREE WITH DEMOCRATS, WHO ON AVERAGE SEE THEIR PARTY AS MODERATE RATHER THAN LIBERAL. So when Independents, who see themselves as modestly right of center, say that Democrats are too liberal, average Democrats can’t imagine what they’re talking about….

http://www.tnr.com/article/the-vital-center/95296/democrats-ideology-republicans-independents

The Democrats keep saying the TEA Party is made up of extremists.  The problem they have is that they don’t realize the extremist label is being place on them by the majority of Americans.  A lot of Democratic Jobs are in jeopardy.