Obama to Begin Setting Up Campaign Organization for 2012

Has he ever stopped campaigning?

Obama's been taking quite a pounding lately. Much of it coming from his friends. The suggestion in the Washington Post that Obama might want to move from the White House to the Supreme Court coinciding with a CNN poll showing a majority do not think Obama deserves re-election must have been disturbing inside the White House.

So, this article in the Politico describing discussions to lay the groundwork for Obama's re-election campaign in 2012 might have been a plant to squash the notion among some Democrats that Obama might not run again.

Apparently Obama plans to try and resurrect his successful 2008 strategy. Good luck with that. Many people were fooled into believing Obama would govern as a centrist. They learned their lesson and aren't likely to buy the snake oil a second time.

The other aspect of Obama's plan is a renewed focus on attacking potential GOP 2012 hopefuls. Is this something new? Since day one in office Obama has been attacking Republicans. Moments later he pleads for bipartisanship.

Does Obama really think he can pull the wool over the public's eyes again?

The Real Message: Dems Stay Out of 2012

The real message here may be a subliminal warning to Democrats who might consider giving Obama a primary fight for the 2012 nomination. Speculation suggests that Hillary Clinton can and may very well consider a run against Obama. There may be others like retiring Indiana Senator Evan Bayh ready to stake out territory for a potential run. Bayh has millions in unspent campaign contributions in the bank which could easily bankroll early primary contests.

The Politico story is as much a warning to fellow Dems as it is to potential GOP challengers. It's an early signal that Obama is ready to fight and isn't willing to slink away. The unknown factor in all these calculations are the expected loses Democrats will face in the coming 2010 elections. Obama may not have much room to run in 2012 if it's clear that voters overwhelmingly reject Democrats in November.