I think the key to why Palin would be a far greater president than you'd give her credit for is she doesn't consider herself the smartest in the room. (Unlike Obama) She considers herself the hardest working. The grinder. The marathoner. The point guard knowing when to pass the ball off. We're not going to need a wonk in 2012. America's going to need someone who can harness the best of the best, those with practical knowhow. Someone who is fearless and a fighter, but also inherently optimistic and unabashedly proud of celebrating and promoting America. Someone who doesn't bow, not to foreign leaders, not to our problems, and certainly not at an altar of self-idolatry. We're going to have some great candidates with great ideas. And...

As a Chicago sports fan, Obama should be familiar with these three words, "Throw It Back!"

Unfortunately, the "New Prince of Peace" (as my wife ruefully dubs him, is only interested in three other words, "I, Me, Mine."

Michael, why would a guy pretending to be a moderate, consensus-building, post-partisan savior support TARP? To get elected. If he revealed his true colors in Fall of '08, he doesn't get elected, flat out. Your theory that if the economy went totally in the toilet he would have coasted into office makes no sense either for the simple reason that the guy had no experience. If the town's ablaze you're not going to put the captain's hat on the kid fresh from the academy. You put it on the grizzled old guy.
As for his re-election, what makes you so sure he's that into fair and open elections? This whole "consent of the governed" thing is sooooo overrated.