In November 2008, then Sen. Barack Obama won the presidential election in a landslide over Sen. John McCain. His slogans of “change” and “hope” energized the country as Independents and young voters joined with Democrats in the record setting election. When the dust of the general election battle had settled, more people had voted for Obama than any other presidential candidate in history.

The 2012 election will likely represent a new challenge for Obama, however. Whereas his main obstacle in 2008 was emerging victorious in the Democratic primary, Obama must now convince voters who flocked to his side in the 2008 general election to do so again.

Can he do it — again?

The road to reelection will be challenging. In a surprisingly frank statement, Obama campaign advisor, David Axelrod, referred to the quest for reelection as a “titanic struggle.”

Obama began his presidency with an incredible amount of political capital. That influence has waned significantly with the passage of time. Part of the reason for his declining support could be the natural consequences of trying to compromise. In an increasingly partisan environment, working towards common ground often has the unwanted result of angering the powers that be on both sides of the political aisle.

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One political observer commented, “The first half of President Obama’s term was marked by an obsession with reaching bipartisan compromise.”

But the admirable goal of seeking to facilitate cooperation backfired, leaving Obama with decreasing poll numbers in lieu of increasing supporters.

Ironically, Obama also faces challenges stemming from a lack of bipartisanship.

Health care reform was one of Obama’s goals in the 2008 election. Few likely thought the objective was achievable. Various presidents had worked toward universal health care since the Great Depression, but none were successful. To succeed where they had failed, Obama eventually had to forsake hopes of bipartisan cooperation. When he signed the Affordable Care Act into law in early 2010 he did so knowing the legislation had not garnered a single Republican vote.

Obama’s partisan comments relative to the economy have also turned off voters.

Initially, the president sought for Republican cooperation in dealing with the troubled economy he inherited from the Bush administration — including the cost-intensive Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP). But his dogged insistence on working together with Republicans irritated his liberal supporters.

Perhaps unwilling to lose Democratic votes critical to his reelection, Obama’s tone on the economy shifted. In April, Obama embraced divisive rhetoric when he criticized Republican plans to steer the sinking ship of the American economy back on course. Months later, ideological Congressional battles over the debt ceiling led to global fears of an American default. The crisis was averted — at least temporarily — but not before Standard & Poor’s downgraded the country’s credit rating for the first time in history.

And while the stock markets have regained some stability since, Obama’s commitment to bipartisanship continued to falter. A September speech meant to put forth a solution to unemployment woes sounded more like a fist- pumping campaign speech than a conciliatory sign of willing cooperation.

Thus Obama’s oxymoronic commitment to both partisanship and cooperation has left Republicans and Democrats alike feeling turned off. Numerous other factors have frustrated voters, leading to steadily declining poll numbers for the president and Axelrod’s confession the reelection will be a “titanic struggle.”

But is the future as bleak as it seems for Obama’s reelection hopes?

While there are certainly challenges ahead, Obama’s campaign is anything but dead in the water.

One need only look in the direction of Republicans to understand why low poll numbers may not necessarily signal the end of the Obama administration.

While former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney is arguably the GOP front-runner despite impressive showings by other candidates such as Rick Perry, Herman Cain, and Michelle Bachmann, Republicans still seem less than satisfied with the pool of candidates.

Polls would suggest otherwise, but the recent clamor of support for New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (who is not a candidate) indicates trouble may be looming ahead for the GOP.

The New York Post explains, “Some of the (GOP's) top leaders and most influential figures — clearly troubled by the failure of anyone in the current field to stir broad, enthusiastic support — are pressing Christie, whom they believe can successfully lead the party against an increasingly vulnerable President Obama.”

Republicans have an apparent front-runner in Romney, but also appear anxious for something more. And the longer Republicans wait to agree on a challenger to Obama, the more GOP candidates will beat up on each other — providing valuable ammunition for Obama in the general election.

An unlikely but related problem for the GOP concerns a former candidate. Business tycoon and reality television star, Donald Trump, ended his bid for the Republican nomination earlier this year.

But apparently the fact he is no longer seeking the GOP nomination doesn’t mean he’s necessarily out of the race.

Trump recently told CNBC, “Anybody would be better than what we have now. ... If Republicans would choose the wrong person I would certainly consider running as an independent.”

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While Trump’s chances of success as an Independent are slim, his participation as a third-party candidate could nevertheless siphon precious votes from the Republican nominee in the general election — thereby giving Obama a significant advantage.

Obama’s history of beating the odds is also something that should not be taken lightly. In the 2008 election, current Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was long believed to be a shoe-in for the Democratic nomination.

Obama defeated her.

In the general election, Sen. John McCain was supposed to be a political maverick who would lasso votes from Republicans and Independents in epic proportions.

Obama defeated him.

Soon after taking office, Obama confronted the challenge of passing health care reform legislation. Theodore Roosevelt had tried and failed. So had Franklin Roosevelt, Harry Truman, Ted Kennedy, Bill Clinton, and others.

Obama succeeded.

Axelrod is probably right on the money when he says reelection will be a “titanic struggle.” But struggles are one thing Obama seems to handle very well.

The road to the 2012 elections is strewn with difficulty, but it is certainly possible President Obama will be reelected.

Kurt Manwaring is pursuing a graduate degree in public administration at the University of Utah. He is a consultant with Manwaring Consulting, LLC and maintains a personal blog at www.kurtsperspective.blogspot.com.

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