...in November, either Romney or President Barack Obama will win a very close election. You can take it to the bank.? Doyle McManus is a columnist for The Los Angeles Times. Readers may send him email at doyle.mcmanus@latimes.com.

...one-term president than a mediocre two-term president" Many of his fellow Democrats hope those aren't his only choices. McManus is a columnist for The Los Angeles Times. Readers may send him e-mail at doyle.mcmanus@latimes.com.

...time of gridlock, it's the muddle of political compromise, not the clarity of economic strategy, that rules the day. Doyle McManus is a columnist for The Los Angeles Times. Readers may send him e-mail at doyle.mcmanus@latimes.com.

...no Jimmy Carter. But thanks to the hazards of the Middle East, there may be days when he feels almost as beleaguered. ? McManus is a columnist for The Los Angeles Times. Readers may send him e-mail at doyle.mcmanus@latimes.com.

...turning Obama from a defeatable one-term president into a favorite for reelection, it will be memorable enough. ? Doyle McManus is a columnist for The Los Angeles Times. Readers may send him e-mail at doyle.mcmanus@latimes.com.

...heading back toward the center - and, perhaps, a slowly improving economy - it could be a good year for Obama after all. ? McManus is a columnist for The Los Angeles Times. Readers may send him e-mail at doyle.mcmanus@latimes.com.

...not by this November. Of course, the Republicans have problems too. But that's for another column - coming soon. Doyle McManus is a columnist for The Los Angeles Times. Readers may send him e-mail at doyle.mcmanus@latimes.com.

...Blue Cross, Aetna or United Healthcare. So the bad news is: Yes, there will be rationing. The good news: Whether we realize it or not, most of us are used to it already. Doyle McManu can be reached at doyle.mcmanus@latimes.com.

...what they would cut instead. That's basically how Clinton succeeded in 1996. But it won't be easy getting there. Doyle McManus is a columnist for The Los Angeles Times. Readers may send him e-mail at doyle.mcmanus@latimes.com.

...to pay their bills because their unemployment insurance ran out." For a moment there, he sounded just like Bill Clinton. Doyle McManus is a columnist for The Los Angeles Times. Readers may contact him at doyle.mcmanus@latimes.com.