Obama's challenge

The current failed administration has clearly demonstrated a level of ineptness that can only be exceeded by the previous failed administration. America can survive 16 years of failure just as we survived the "Dough Faces" of the 1850s.

Obama will get elected since the Republicans have offered no alternatives.

IMO the stagnation in Washington is a leadership void and that is the responsibility of the President. When the children fight in the playpen daddy has to step in. Daddy is on a hiatus.

Your analogy is rather accurate IMO. When trying to play to the audience, as we have seen for several administrations, we also must acknowledge that the legislative branch of government has, as you so clearly pointed out, can't, or won't play together for the common good. I will, with tongue in cheek, say that a good benevolent dictator might need to step in ( kinda like the Nuns in the Catholic school. Man, that ruler really hurt.)

Right now it is a quagmire in D.C. One of the mistakes by the Obama Administration and the Democrats was to interpret 2008 as a mandate - it wasn't. It was a total condemnation of policies that were not fluid or consistent and the Republicans took a huge hit.

That was returned in 2010 with an obvious disgust on the part of the electorate. Now there is just turmoil and the blame game will be in full force by both sides. They can't quite comprehend why so many have an (I) on the voting records.

My candidate did not win the presidency in 2008 but maybe "Mr. Blank" will win in 2012?

A benevolent dictator is something you have mentioned a few times and I wonder if a personality cult could form around a presidential candidate in the next decade or so that will restore a balance. Legislative seems to be in control last eight years or so.

As an atheist that is the one significant element that makes me drift away from some of the Republican platform. Usually the country ends up being centrist. I can't see evangelicals having much traction.

We have had our share of a personality cult but it usually revoves around things like Elvis.

Times get really tough is where the problems happen. Then you can get a far left/right screwball in charge.

I do believe that separation is how it is viewed although not explicitly set out. But religion has always been part of the political debate since religion (church) has influence with their "flocks." And when public policy conflicts with religious doctrine they speak out as clearly being demonstrated of late by evangelicals and Catholics.

Thankfully we do not have religion, economics and government all in virtually the same sphere as you do with so many Muslim nations and was so present in the past with many western nations.

I do believe Henry VIII was very clear on his own vision of separation of church and state.

Ya, he kinda got the ball rolling on that issue

He got a head up on it. Henry was a cut above the rest.

I will avoid comments about "Good head."

I am better off but most are not and I am speaking in economic terms. My own investment strategy has limited my exposure to extended losses.

At the executive level the last 11.5 years has been a bitter disappointment with an void in leadership especially with a chaotic congress. I do not see any significant change at the executive level with either another failed term for Obama or a term of little consequence from Romney. Congress has reverted to a collection whose sole goal is self interest using the famed blame game.

Europe is now in the throes of a second recession or just an extension of the first one. Governments attempt to come to grips with policies instituted decades ago with a bill now to be paid that can't be paid without significant personal sacrifice. Asian countries have their own issues as Japan - once the budding big kid on the block - is now faded into a 20 year morass. China is starting to flounder.

That steady decline - IMHO - is universal.