Letters to the President: #1003 'The GOP rumble'

Reporter's Note: President Obama often says that he doesn’t spend much time keeping track of his potential Republican challengers for the presidency. I imagine that’s because he considers it more important to keep up with my daily letters to the White House.

Dear Mr. President,

Well, your would-be Republican challengers were throwing some haymakers at each other last night out in Vegas. Somehow it seemed appropriate: Go to a big prize fight town to fight for the biggest political prize of all. I just wish we could have picked up Michael Buffer to throw in a “Leeetttt’s get ready to ruuuummmmbllllllleee!” That would have been so cool.

Many of your fellow Democrats seemed to love it. The whole image of Republicans pounding each other apart in the ring practically had some Dems swooning with glee in the post debate analysis and on the internet. Somehow they seem to think that this will leave even the eventual nominee so hopelessly scarred that he will be easy pickings for you; a walkover to re-election.

Uh…yeah…about that…

Perhaps you might want to remind them that the exact same thing was being said when you and Hillary Clinton, and John Edwards (remember him?) were mixing it up in late 2007. At the time the Republicans were gathering around your arena, chanting “fight, fight, fight!” And yet the fisticuffs did not seem to weaken you. To the contrary, as a few of the wiser pundits predicted, that sort of intramural boxing toughens up the contenders; those that survive emerge stronger, not weaker.

Like I said, you did.

All a tough primary does is produce tough opponents.

Call if you get a chance. Hope all is well.

Regards,
Tom