Sam Youngman: "After the midterm defeat, President Obama needed time to rehabilitate himself and reinvent his administration as sympathetic to the wants, needs and anger of the American electorate. Republicans so far have been only too happy to give Obama all the time he needs."
"First and foremost, the late start by modern standards to the 2012 race has enabled Obama to focus on being president... Note the reaction when former Sen. Rick Santorum (R-PA) criticized Obama, saying because the president is black he should have more sympathy for the civil rights of fetuses. If Santorum said that as an announced candidate, it's a safe bet that the White House would have been forced to respond. Instead, the comment was not even asked about at the next day's White House briefing."