President Obama angered liberal supporters by reaching a tax deal with Republicans without bringing his own party into the negotiations, then labeling his most vocal detractors on the Left "sanctimonious." The tax deal will probably pass Congress, and it is broadly popular in opinion polls. But will an alienated liberal base doom Obama's chances for re-election in 2012 — or improve them? (Watch Obama blast his critics)
The path to victory is through the middle: Obama's success in 2012 rests on the economy, says Mark Halperin in Time, the thing he can least control. But "this new Obama" is more likely to win than the old one, because "centrist governance" has a better chance of getting things done in a divided Congress. "Here's a simple rule to guide the president: If a proposal is denounced by both Nancy Pelosi and Sarah Palin, it will probably find support in the center of the electorate."
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