The GOP race against the Bizarro World Obama they've Created.

The following is something I've been telling my very conservative friend for years about Obama; he's really nothing like his party's fictional version of him. Since this Huffington Post article says it better than I could, with linked proof, here's their version slightly condensed:

Bill Maher, in relaying his last "New Rule" on the Jan. 27 episode of "Real Time," "You know, Republicans have created this completely fictional president. You used to have to run against an actual candidate. But, now, you just recreate him inside the bubble and run against your new fictional candidate."

Maher isn't really exaggerating. Contrary to the fictional stories told by Republicans, the president has cut taxes (taxes are lower under Obama than they were under Ronald Reagan, and the tax burden on Americans is the lowest it's been since 1950), raised the military budget, been more aggressive in fighting Islamist militants than his predecessor (bin Laden and numerous dead Taliban and al-Qaida leaders would attest to this fact if they could, as well as all those hit by increased drone attacks, not to mention--although they're not Islamists--Qadafi and all the Somali pirates who have met their demiseon the business end of American military hardware), and has not proposed or supported any anti-gun legislation (instead, signing a bill that included a Republican amendment allowing guns in national parks).

Andrew Sullivan did a great job in January of laying out the Obama created by the GOP and then showing how the facts spoil the Republican fiction.

The GOP doesn't think it can beat the real Obama in November. 

And finally this, which not one pundit has mentioned about the upcoming presidential election, but could be the one biggest factor:

Or maybe Republicans are worried by the numerous instances of buyer's remorse since November 2010, with successful candidate and statute recalls in Wisconsin, Ohio and Maine, as well as recent polls showing the GOP in trouble in Ohio and Obama doing relatively well in the battleground states.