Credits: 

Illustration: Patrick McQuade

He’s the incumbent.

In American history, incumbent Presidents’ win-loss record is 21–9. A pitcher with that record would win the Cy Young Award. More important for Obama, a President seeking a second consecutive term for his party has lost only once since 1900. That was Jimmy Carter. While Obama may not have lived up to the expectations of Obamamania, we don’t have 21 percent interest rates, gas lines or diplomats held hostage in the Middle East, either. An incumbent President gets free network air time and can set the terms of the debate for his re-election. That’s why Theodore Roosevelt called the presidency a “bully pulpit.”

“Obviously, [Obama has] a presence on a daily basis that no one else has,” says Louanner Peters, deputy chief of staff and district director to U.S. Rep. Bobby Rush. “Again, it relates to what one does with it. And what the nonincumbent brings to the table. At this juncture, I’m not seeing a lot being brought to the table by the Republicans or other challengers.” Which brings us to…