Question after election was how Obama/Romney vote statistics compared in Southern states.  A local newspaper commenter came up with these for South Carolina:

Forty-four percent of SC residents who voted in 2012 election voted for Obama, even without a 'strong' in-state campaign.  Obama did better in SC than he did in 19 other states that went for Romney.  (Romney carried 24 states, only four of which had a higher percentage of voters going for Obama.)

I suspect it is wrong to write off the South as being totally tied to the GOP--past prejudices or no.  (When I read that in a future election SC could conceivably turn blue, I thought 'No way!"  But there is a strong hispanic tide--plus efforts to 'limit voter fraud' have not done too well.)

"He is overreading his mandate," said John Feehery, a former adviser to top House Republicans. "By doing the campaign thing, he is making the same mistake Bush made in 2005." Eventually, he said, Democratic and Republican leaders "are going to cut the deal, and Obama is going to be on the outside looking in."

So, who are the Democratic leaders that the Republican leaders will make the deal with so that The President "will be on the outside, looking in?" Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi will have more to lose politically than the President, if they make any deals with Republicans.

and then

"He only cares about one detail: raising rates on the top two brackets," said Tony Fratto, a former White House and Treasury Department official under Mr. Bush. "Everything else is secondary. That's why if that is going to happen, it will be last if Republicans can hold out. I think it's pretty clear Obama will sacrifice just about anything to get that. It's the only win for him."

If that's truly the case, then congratulations are in order for the MAC champion Huskies, and a lot of boos and hisses for NIU Coach Dave Doernen, who announced on Saturday morning -- barely 12 hours after the Huskies' epic title-clinching win over Kent State -- that he's accepted the head coaching job at North Carolina State, and is leaving NIU this week. NIU officials are expected to name an interim head coach for the Orange Bowl later today or early tomorrow.

ESPN further projects that Florida will be playing Louisville in the Sugar Bowl, and the Fiesta Bowl will match up Oregon and Kansas State. Big 12 co-champ Oklahoma and SEC runner-up Georgia look to be the odd BCS men out here, and the Sooners will reportedly accept an invitation to play in the Cotton Bowl on New Year's Day against LSU. )Does that mean that Georgia stays in Atlanta to play Clemson in the Chick-fil-A Bowl?)