Is Obama "Crippling His Re-election Chances" or Helping Them?

Depends on who you ask. As far s the left is concerned, Obama is really messing up:

President Obama could be crippling his own reelection effort by making a deal with Republicans to extend all of the Bush-era tax cuts, Democratic strategists and liberal groups said Monday.

A two-year extension of tax rates ushered in by President George W. Bush nearly a decade ago, would ensure a resumption of today’s fiery debate in 2012, when Obama is expected to reapply for his job, strategists in both parties said.

It also is angering the left wing of the Democratic Party, which already has a long list of complaints about Obama.

“President Obama has shown a complete refusal to fight Republicans throughout his presidency even when the public is on his side — and millions of his former supporters are now growing disappointed and infuriated by this refusal to fight,” said Adam Green, co-founder of the Progressive Change Campaign Committee.

If that last paragraph was true Obama would be in much better shape than he is now. In reality, he did fight the GOP but did it when he didn't have the public on his side (see Obamacare). Consequently he's pretty much torched himself with both his political allies and enemies. Not a good position for a person facing another election in less than two years.

Although the left is apoplectic about Obama's quick surrender on the Bush tax cuts, it's a politically savvy move.  Raising taxes on everyone who pays them was an absolute no-win situation for Obama.  Regardless of how they got there he'd take the blame and that would help him with nobody.  At least for a moment he can appear to be moderating his politics and you know how the wishy-washy independents just love that.  He's got to win those people back to have any chance at another term.