The first euphoric post-election shots of Mr. Obama and his family waving to crowds of teary, flag-waving supporters are quickly replaced by images of Wall Street in meltdown, the credit industry frozen in panic, the real estate market in collapse and the entire country on the brink of despair.
Political professionals here consider this election his best shot at the governor's chair, because in 2006 he would most likely be facing two well-financed Democrats, Bill Lockyer, the attorney general, and Phil Angelides, the state treasurer, in a primary.
California's leaders have a choice come the fall: Keep the same low profile as last week, or treat the November election as a shot at redemption.
On one hand, it feels like UKIP have, to an extent, run their course: they exerted everything in the election, their biggest shot at relevance for the next five years barring the (admittedly nailed-on) European referendum.
An effect of the administrative court's decision is that since Mr Woolas has been accepted into the ordinary judicial review system, rather than being trapped in the odd single-shot election court system as Mr Justice Silber had initially ruled, this means that he has the chance to appeal.
The proposal is a central element of Senate Democrats' election-year "fair shot" agenda, and enjoys broad support from the party's leadership.
"There's no way this government can win this election in a clean shot," said Azaveli Lwaitama, a political analyst at the University of Dar es Salaam, who predicted vote-rigging and possibly turmoil.
"Karl Rove, the Koch brothers and the Republicans see this election as their first shot at stopping President Obama's agenda and regaining control of the Senate," Mr. Markey told hundreds of supporters at a Boston hotel.
No, in reality, Blair was snapped taking a selfie with naval cadets during the 2005 general election campaign, and that shot was grafted by political artists Peter Kennard and Cat Phillipps on to another image and called Photo Op.
No Muslim candidates from any of the big parties have been given a shot at election districts they might actually win; there still isn't a French Muslim in the National Assembly or the Senate.
