I'm usually in awe of Wretchard's analysis. But this is just another case of the conservative punditry pontificating on the details of how the left is destroying itself... all evidence this past 100 years to the contrary.

I have always loved that chart, but the devastating problem for Wretchard's analogy here is that - in the case of the Russian campaign - Napoleon's conceit ran headlong into the immutable **accountability** demanded by nature itself. His decisions and actions had tangible, devastating consequences. Obama faces no such obstacle, as has been demonstrated throughout his entire adult life, particularly these past 6 years.

Our wannabe King could care less, at this point, what his approval rating falls to. Same goes for his progressive successor, whoever that ends up being. In 2016, NO Republican will be allowed by the media to run against Obama the way he ran, with unlimited media cheerleading, against (the media-manufactured image of) Bush in 2008.

As for the rise of self-diagnosed "Independents"... puh-leeze. We've been told by identical surveys that the U.S. self-identifies as overwhelmingly "non-liberal" for years (just Google "Conservatives Remain the Largest Ideological Group in U.S."). Consequence of this purported demographic: left-and-lefter government run amok, endangering our liberty and our very future.

"Us vs. Them" mentality - whether it be "conservative"/"liberal", Republican/Democrat, capitalist/socialist, race-based... whatever - is not going to put a dent in the existential threat this nation faces. Understanding human nature, as determined by a scientific analysis of human psychological development, is the only path to a social construct - a Republic - that is sustainable-in-fact (as opposed to in-name-only). Precious few want to go there.

"Obama faces no such obstacle, as has been demonstrated throughout his entire adult life,..."
GOY

Excellent points. I've said that (at this point) Obama is completely unimportant as far the 2016 election goes. The perfection of the Democratic machine, which includes the media, can be seen in it's ability to protect completely until after it no longer mattered. Now we are still left with the serious problem of an electorate that handed power to someone undeserving once and that same danger is more likely in 2016.
We are permitted this interregnum to natter and blow off steam. While it doesn't matter.

"Now we are still left with the serious problem of an electorate that handed power to someone undeserving once..."

By my count this has happened seven times now in recent memory; eight if one counts Carter. That number goes up geometrically if we include the career corrupt-o-crats in Congress, and exponentially if we include the various State legislatures. As such, it's less interregnum than continuum - one that is decidedly not moving in a direction favorable to liberty.

If a self-serving elite could propel themselves perpetually into the future we would still be seeing the umpteenth dynasty in Egypt building the latest in pyramids.

Nothing is forever, including the constructions of human conceit. Like Napoleon learned.

Pity we are along with the march of the Grande Armee, though.