A few weeks ago I was ready to predict in this column that I believed President Obama would win re-election handily in this fall’s presidential election. However, as the scandals hitting the White House continue to grow, it is beginning to look like the Republicans MIGHT have a chance to unseat the president. However, this is in no part due to the strategy of the Right but a layering of difficult situations by the administration.

In the fall and spring, Obama merely had to sit back and watch as the Republicans tore themselves apart over who was the furthest to the right by offending more minority populations than the other guy. Nonetheless, it seems that this summer it will be the Republican nominee, Mitt Romney, who will be able to sit back and watch the administration squirm and defend scandals that may or may not have any connection with President Obama.

The current scandal of the week is the Colombian prostitutes and their visit to the secret service’s hotel while on a trip in South America for a major summit. Now, there are reports that there might have been a woman in the hotel where the president was staying, which will only heighten the scandalous nature of the entire story. The issue with this situation is that it makes the administration and those who work for it look immoral, lawless and bordering on criminal, which are not exactly themes any campaign consultant wants connected with their candidate leading up to re-election.

On any other week, Vice President Joe Biden will give the White House Press Office a stupid remark that has to be defended or explained “more fully” in order to avoid it being blown into a complete nightmare for the administration. This is probably why there were calls inside the Democratic Party for Obama to choose another running mate for his second term. It certainly would give the president something to run on besides his record and his often-embarrassing vice president.

And then there is the issue about the Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare, being decided by the Supreme Court. The Supremes are currently debating and deciding their vote on Obama’s legacy healthcare overhaul bill, and the outcome will decide whether or not it is a launching point for the Republicans to win the election. During the run up to the bill’s case being heard by the Supreme Court, Obama made several remarks that were not becoming of a president presiding over a system of checks and balances.

If the Republicans are smart, and based on the primary fight that is questionable, they would simply let the president and his team back themselves into a corner on these scandals and situations.

The last bite…

Everyone who is a friend of mine on Facebook knows my obsession with McDonald’s ice cream and my belief that it is superior to all other ice cream. Well, I had a distant second this past weekend at Creole Creamery in New Orleans. It was a traditional sundae topped with hot fudge, fresh Louisiana strawberries, and whipped cream piled high! The ice cream was no match to McDonald’s, but the overall look and enjoyment I got out of that sundae was great. I give a traditional sundae with a cherry on top 5 out of 5 crumbs!

Buddy Boe, a resident of Garyville, owns a public relations and program management company and is well known on the local political (and food) scenes. His column appears Wednesdays in L’Observateur.