Republicans who backed Obama say they may vote for him again
By Hannah Brenton and Hayleigh Colombo - 10/28/10 05:00 PM ET
Republicans who supported Barack Obama in the 2008 election say they have few regrets.
The Hill contacted 17 prominent Republicans and members of “Republicans for Obama” groups that launched across the country two years ago. Most of them defended the president and indicated they might vote for him again in two years.
snip//
In 2008, Obama secured the support of a broad coalition of independent and Republican voters, propelling him to the presidency. Nine percent of registered Republicans voted for him, a 3 percent improvement from Sen. John Kerry’s (D-Mass.) campaign four years earlier.
Despite Obama’s push to pass partisan bills through Congress, such as the stimulus package and healthcare reform, GOP officials are sticking by their choice.
Charles Fried, who served as solicitor general under President Reagan, said he doesn’t second-guess his vote for Obama.
“It’s very hard to get political credit for the terrible things that you’ve averted,” said Fried, a Harvard law professor. “{President George W.} Bush got no credit for there not being another attack on American soil, and Obama deserves it for avoiding an economic catastrophe.”
“It had to be done, and it’s tough to do,” said former Rep. Harris Fawell (R-Ill.) of the stimulus.
“He inherited terrible economic circumstances. Republicans blame Obama for having brought this economic fiasco. I hate to say it, but the Republicans just blew the budget to smithereens.”
Former Sen. Larry Pressler (R-S.D.) echoed Fawell.
“We had to do something,” Pressler said. “If it was a different president with a different name, it would still be the same problem.”more...
http://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/126421-republicans-who-backed-obama-say-they-may-vote-for-him-again