Dunno, but I think the Democrats have lost credibility with the middle America voter.

Perhaps, but that's because the middle American voters are impatient and fickle. The credibility will return if the ecomony improves, which it might, significantly, before the fall election.

Unfortunate that Hillary Clinton, who knows how to mediate, was not the 2008 candidate.

She would have been my candidate also, and in the event of an Obama meltdown, she is available for 2012.