Hey, I was wrong about Obama not being electable . . .

Hey, I was wrong about Obama not being electable . . .

. . . but this is the high water mark.

The results were 51+% to 47-%, more or less.

That was enough to turn purple states blue. But, again, it's the high water mark. Ask W how an over reaching politician can confuse this kind of a margin for a mandate, and gamble away all his political capital.

What to do now?

Obama needs to keep the swing voters - - the promiscuous 3% of the voters in the middle - - on his side.

And, Obama needs to keep his overwhelming majorities in minority communities, among youth, and with Whole Foods shoppers.

How?

Obama must keep his promises on taxes (a middle class tax cut for those earning under $250,000), on spending (spending cuts to offset any new programs), on health care (reform of our capitalist health care system, not imposition of a socialist health care system), and on Iraq (withdrawal as conditions allow). Remember, Obama won among those whose issues were the war, the economy and healthcare with those very promises.

Also remember that Obama lost among voters whose issues were energy and terrorism. The American people want to drill, baby, drill. And, they want a tough stand against foreign terrorists.

Above all, Obama must avoid leaning left on the economy or foreign policy. He promised centrism.

Enough social conservatives held their noses and voted for Obama on the economy to turn several southern and midwest red states blue. If Obama wants to keep these socially conservative voters, he needs to avoid social experimentation. (And, on social issues, Obama needs to remember his base. Record turn out in the African American and Latino communities translated into defeats for gay marriage.)

Finally, Obama needs to remember that all his friends and cheerleaders in the media, the pundits and the celebrities, ultimately reject the good for the elusive perfect. They will turn on him soon enough.

Essentially, Obama must govern as the centrist he presented, or else this will be Jimmy Carter's second term.

But, as I said, I was wrong about Obama not being electable.

What do I know?