Why O lost even though he won
Look, I get annoyed when some here slam everything O does. I can already hear people revving up the engines for Hillary 2016, where she will be given the halo of being the last true FDR liberal that Obama was too young/stupid/not American enough to be. However, in this case, even though he knew that the GOP would not bite, he should have never used SS as a chip.
Now, it is not the current generation of GOP that worry me. Yes, they are stupid, yes they are tied up by little Grover.
What worries me is the next generation of conservatives, and by that, I do not necessarily mean GOP.
To explain: even the thickest in Wall Street are going to realize they overplayed their hand. The GOP could not put Mitt in, and many of the Tea Party types may be on the way out. They will realize they cannot walk in through the front door. So they need a back door.
Of course, they have had success with the DLC. As far right as Obama is, he is nothing compared to those ready to take over: the Hillarys, the Cory Bookers, the Rahm Emmanuels. Combine this with the fact that many "moderate" GOP will jump ship. Wall Street will remake it's old illusion, the 'compassionate conservative". There, you have a mix where someone can bring up "well Obama offered a chained CPI." Yes, we will know that the offer was never going to be taken, but that seed will be enough.
Like I said, I am an Obama supporter. I do not regret either time I voted for him, however, this was a mistake..