At the beginning of the month, about the time the debt ceiling negotiations (read, standoff) began, Obama and a generic GOP challenger were tied, at 44%, on the Rasmussen Generic Presidential Ballot.

Since then, we've had multiple announcements of impasses, looming deadlines, flying accusations, threats of starving seniors -- and two presidential press conferences in which President Obama relentlessly attacked Republicans with charges of intransigence.   Most of all, have been the predictions (read, threats) from the Obamamedia of the drubbing that awaits them in 2012 should they fail to abandon their pledge to the American people actually govern on the platform they ran on.

How has Obama and the Democrats' strategy affected the GOP's presidential (and presumably, House and Senate) chances in 2012?  Perhaps the results, reported only yesterday in the latest Rasmussen generic presidential poll, can provide an answer:

Obama, 43%.  Generic GOP challenger:  48%.

Does this single result predict that Republicans will win the debt ceiling standoff?  Predicting that outcome is like predicting that Republicans will never again be known as the "stupid party."  On the other hand, paraphrasing Mark Twain, predictions of the impending political death of the Republican Party if they stand their ground may be greatly exaggerated.

Gene Schwimmer is the author of The Christian State.