“I have good reasons to believe that, soon, NASA’s function will be relegated to that of a mere regulatory agency.”

The FAA AST already has that job and DOT will not give it up to NASA. Nor would I want NASA anywhere NEAR having the authority to regulate space flight. No, NASA will likely be relegated to a space version of NSF merely funding robotic science missions for the amusement of the masses.

True! That’s the way our system works.

three points

First almost nothing you post in the 0336 has a thing to do with the basic statement that unless Obama cranks up the additional 3 billion dollars for NASA he wont carry FL.

You might believe that but almost no one else does. The dynamics in 12 will center around the state of the economy, maybe something that happens between now and then that is unknown now, and who the GOP puts up.

History doesnt repeat itself, it echoes but if there is any Presidency that Obama is echoing “now” it is Ronaldus the Great’s first term. In 82 no few would have given him a chance for a reelect, the economy was “bad” (and todays is far worse) …and yet by 84 it was “Morning in America” and the Dems put up a left winger who Reagan trounced.

Obama wont be running against Bush in 12 UNLESS the GOP puts up someone who reminds the people of Bush (ie a right wing nut) and or the people still view the problems we are in as problems stemming from Bush…with Obama viewed as having tried to make them better.

Right now if I had to guess (and that would be all it is) the 12 election might “look” a lot like the 36 election. IE the ghost of Hoover was still over the GOP.

Second, as I note Obama won FL without the “space coast”…and no I dont see 12 being a 00 election where it boils down to a few votes. The overall state of the economy will be far more important.

Third, you overestimate wildly how interested Americans are in spaceflight, particularly human spaceflight.

Robert G. Oler

Obama has no power to increase NASA’s budget. He can ask for an increase, but only Congress can actually do it.

It is permissible to have an unexpressed thought.

You don’t need to live on the space coast or in Florida to be for the space program. And something tells me that Obama didn’t lose 99% of the space coast votes (Just a hunch). It took only a few votes (maybe) for George Bush to win Florida from Al Gore– and the presidency. So every vote from every county will count in Florida. And Obama won’t be running against King George this time. He’ll be running on his own achievements the last 4 years. But I think Obama’s smart enough not to gut the manned space program.

But if Obama doesn’t raise the NASA budget, as recommended by his own commission, I’m pretty sure the Republicans will play it up in commercials in Florida how he gave stimulus money to every place but Florida’s space program, maybe even showing how Obama turned his back on the legacy of John F. Kennedy (the ultimate Democratic icon).

So I don’t think Obama wants to go down that road! And I don’t think any Democrat politician in Florida wants him to go down that road!