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kruegerb76{at}hotmail.com wrote:

>> Wesley Struebing wrote:
>>> I find it interesting (and somewhat worry-making) that today there was
>>> an article about how the Dems are beginning to be dismissed and are
>>> running scared again, because we're getting into the October
"freeze
>>> on candidate choices" and Bush's poll numbers are significantly UP
>>> again (it seems mostly due to that execrable 9/11 thing that was aired
>>> - at least that's the only thing that the pollsters could come up with
>>> to explain the swing.) For some reason, his numbers that were in the
>>> abysmal 30's are now well over 40 again.
>>
>> Gas prices are way down again?
> 
> That, undoubtedly, has a lot to do with it.  Which is a really
> interesting warning of our political future, isn't it?

People often vote their pocket book.  That was on of the things that 
Carter emphasized in his campaign against Ford (remember the "Misery" 
Index?") Then Reagan hammered Carter with it because by Carter's index, 
things were much worse under his administration.

Clinton used the same thing with his "How are you doing now?" commercials.

Judging by your family's financial condition seems every bit as 
reasonable a criteria to judge as any other single issue, particularly 
if you have kids.  When something drastic happens (like gas going up 
$1.00 a gallon over a short period of time and the press constantly 
talking about how $100 a barrel oil was inevitable), it causes a lot of 
people to panic.  When things settle down again people relax and feel 
less threatened, consumer confidence goes up, etc.

If it isn't gas, it's something else.  Some people vote for single 
issues, some vote for their favored party no matter what, some vote 
because they hate the other guy or woman for whatever reason.

Neither party argues why their ideas are better... they argue on some 
emotional level as to why the other guy is doing something evil.  If 
someone on either side had a great idea that would help 99.9999% of 
Americans, the other side would condemn them for not caring about the 
remaining .0001%.

The next presidential election will undoubtedly produce two profoundly 
mediocre candidates ... and the day they take office half of the country 
will hate their guts.  One side or the other will have countless 
bloggers and pundits researching, parsing, twisting and contorting facts 
or dreaming up conspiracies in order to feed their own emotional or 
political blood lust.  The rest of the world will continue to hate us no 
matter what we do.  In short, more of the same.

In short, more of the same.

Is it just me, or do people everywhere seem so wound up they're ready to 
pounce on the first person that says something they disagree with? 
Everyone seems to have someone they want to hate ... and most seem 
willing to hate more deeply than before.  People seem to want to take 
offense at the slightest opportunity.

Carl
                           
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