This is not to say that we can slack and coast through the presidential election, particularly given all the voter disenfranchisement initiatives coming from the right - this is going to be a hard-fought election, with lots of drama. And the current reality could be disrupted by an external factor, like a significant economic collapse, a serious political scandal, or a major foreign policy issue. But Romney's choice of Paul Ryan as VP candidate confirms for me that the right has given up on the White House in 2012.
We have an excellent opportunity to campaign against a destructive core Republican narrative that has been operative for generations: cutting social benefits while increasing defense funding and making the rich richer is what's best for America. Romney and Ryan pretty well perfectly embody this narrative, and Obama, with our support, is perfectly positioned to take America on a much more progressive path, establishing successful precedents that will meaningfully change the playing field.