Bluffing
There is increasing suspicion that the Republicans aren't bluffing , and really are willing to destroy the economy for what they hope will be political profit. Obama's weakness and unwillingness to fight back has encouraged them to go for broke, and their crazy idealogues are living in an imaginary universe anyway. Of course a whole gamut of historical catastrophes has been launched in just this fashion. Obama showed a hint of pugnacity in his last press conference - enough to provoke the usual right wing nut jobs to peurile insults - but I don't think a hint will do it. I think he needs to drop the kid gloves and stop playing golf with the enemy. He needs to start naming names and telling the voters that these people are enemies of our nation.