How can Republicans win the presidency now? (Reuters)

A tottering U.S. economy, an unpopular Iraq war, eight years of Republican control of the White House -- it all adds up to a Democratic lock on the presidency in November's presidential election. Right?

Well, maybe not.

"Republicans need to encourage the television networks to host more and more debates, because every time these two go at it like they did Monday night it turns off Democrats, it turns off independents and it turns on the Republicans," said Republican strategist Scott Reed.

http://www.reuters.com/article/politicsNews/idUSN2253369520080123?pageNumber=2&virtualBrandChannel=0

How do debates help us when the media always shows negative coverage of democrats?

In presidential primaries, probably only about 1% of people are actually swayed by debates.

no interest in the Repub race, by comparison, even though it's a historic first for them not to have a frontrunner. That's how unenthused people are about the GOP and its prospects. Good press, negative press--it's all OK, certainly better than being ignored for lack of interest.

And I am totally clueless what their behavior in the debates will have to do with the country's mood during the GE.

http://www.thefreedictionary.com/dict.asp?Word=debasementing
debasement - definition of debasement by the Free Online Dictionary, Thesaurus and Encyclopedia.

...how can he even hope to stand up to the republican slime machine?

I can see it now: Obama wins the nomination, and in the run-up to the general election, Fox news and the Wall Street Journal, and Rush Limbaugh, and the rest of the right-wing attack machine relentlessly mischaractarize Obama's positions, call him a Muslim, question his loyalty to America, reprise their "Osama educated in a madrassa" meme, and float rumors that he keeps a white-girl crack-whore in a harem and beats his wife to boot.

Obama's response: can't we all get along?

Result: Obama comes off as a b*tch-slapped, overly-idealistic, naive, wimp. All of those inclined to respond to the dog-whistle politics of the right wing bully-boys vote against Obama, and he loses to the new and improved GW Bush...

Please - tell me it's only a bad dream...

The election is the Democrats to lose. And, if anyone can screw it up, it's the Democrats! Of course they will have a lot of help from an organized Republican slam machine assembled by, if not actually driven by Karl Rove and his ilk. Will Rogers said something to the effect of: "I don't belong to an organized political party. I'm a Democrat!" and it's still true! Good heavens, just look around DU (let alone the debates)! It's already a ridiculous mess of petty squabbling. Is everyone really going to rally around the eventual candidate after he/she is officially chosen in August? Even if he/she is DLC? I hope so; but many keep implying that that they'd rather die than back Whatsisname or Whodoyouucallit. This attitude will sink the Democratic candidate for President, and we could be stuck with another eight years of Republicans. And if that happens, I seriously fear the game is over for our lifetimes. Maybe our candidates aren't perfect. And in these troubled times, someone with the innovative wisdom of a Roosevelt is required; and I don't feel that any of our candidates have that. But, they are what we have, and the worst of them is still a whole helluva lot better than the alternative.