Thaindian News

Washington, Jan 24 (ANI): US President Barack Obama might have suffered a setback over several issues, including huge loses during last year’s mid-term polls, but a detailed analysis suggests that the propounder of the ‘yes we can’ speech is not out of the race yet and is still in a strong position to be re-elected in 2012.

The analysis also states that Obama might lose half a dozen or more swing states he carried in 2008, but he could still win the 270 electoral votes he needs for a second term, the Washington Post reports.

A comparative study between his electoral performances in 2008 with that of his two most recent Democratic predecessors, suggest in 2008, Obama carried 28 states and the District of Columbia. Senator John F. Kerry (Mass.) had won just 19 states and the District in 2004, and Vice President Al Gore carried 20 (and D.C.) in 2000.

Obama’s 365 electoral votes in 2000 were 114 more than Kerry won and 99 more than Gore received. The total marked the highest number for a Democrat since Bill Clinton’s 1996 re-election, when he won 379. Clinton took 370 electoral votes in his 1992 defeat of President George H.W. Bush. Before that, the last Democrat to garner more electoral votes was President Lyndon B. Johnson, who claimed 486 in 1964, the paper said.

Such a large margin gives Obama significant room for error, or loss, as he and his team begin plotting the path to 270 in 2012, it added.

In case Obama loses Florida and Ohio seats, but manages to hold the 26 other states he won in 2008, Obama would be re-elected with 318 electoral votes, 32 more than George W. Bush won when he was re-elected in 2004 and 47 more than he won in 2000.

If he Florida, Ohio, Indiana, North Carolina, and Virginia, wins the 23 others he won in 2008, he could still be re-elected with 279 electoral votes.

Although a still-struggling economy could damage his image to an extent, but Obama’s built-in edge would not be an easy job for Republican nominee to overcome, the paper added. (ANI)