now the focus shifts to race and ideology.
obama has been dealt a very horrible hand with an uncooperative congress who's filibustered anything resembling authentic Democratic policy. every single policy passed since obama has been president has been watered down compromise packages intended to fuck over the economy. even health care reform had to include a bunch of debt restructuring mumbojumbo in order to pass through reconciliation b/c the filibuster threat was there and it was going to be used.
republicans know that with a bad economy, the president has a larger chance of loosing, and they're rich, so it's not their livelihoods on the line when they play politics with out economy.