George Bush Jr. seems to be asymptotically and inevitably approaching the 35% of the vote that represents his intractable conservative supporters.

However, two things are likely to give him temporary boosts this year: the capture of Osama bin Laden, and the Supreme Court ruling on the Pledge of Allegiance.

Other than that, I don't see what he's got going for him heading into the election.

One can only hope.

But here's a question: Would capturing Osama really help him in the end since more and more people are becoming dis-enamored with the Iraq fiasco?

Interesting Vic, but how would your life be different with Kerry or Edwards or whomever as president? Seriously.

One doesn't know. But I KNOW how it is with Bush and it sucks big time. It could suck with Kerry or Dean, or whomever, but at least I'll get a few hours where I can at least hope once again there is a chance.

The key word is "hope".

Okay, but if there is no practical difference, wouldn't it make just as much sense to "apply the hope" now? I'm not trying to be sarcastic and I wish you only the best, and I am very sad you are having a hard time, as I hope you know.

This raises the question of the validity of polls. That polls might indicate that more people are "dis-enamored with the Iraq fiasco" makes me wonder. If say Bush's popularity rating according to some poll dropped 20 percent, does that mean that if an election were held that day, 20 percent more voters would have decided not to vote for Bush? I don't know how some of these polls would actually translate into votes.

I do think that capturing Osama would greatly increase Bush's popularity with the masses, but I don't know if that necessarily means that he will earn a proportionate amount of additional votes. If Osama is captured, I will be happy, and I think I will feel a bit safer--even if logically I might not be any safer at all. But the end does not justify the means. Regardless of whether we capture Osama or not, I think that people should focus on what was done to capture him and take over Afghanistan--likewise with Iraq. If people are happy with what the Bush Administration attempted (succeed or fail), then they should vote for Bush (provided they are happy with his other agendas). They shouldn't vote for Bush just because he got Saddam or got Osama. I guess the way the media and the propaganda machine work, these types of captures actually blind some of the public, diverting their attention from the substance of a politician's actions and from weightier issues. Wouldn't it be nice if the media's goal were to inform the public and help them make logical decisions?

What's up with the books you chose to highlight? Explain yourself. I've got this fear-of-the-womb-tomb thing going on. Independent cunts? Are they going to be out there attacking innocent bystanders? Do the nuns know about this yet?

I understand what you are saying Eric. I don't think you are being sarcastic. =)

My point is this:

Bush said a lot of things before he was in office to get elected to get elected. He then did a lot of things that the American people did not want and some things he did were in direct conflict to what he said before getting office.

Currently, we have a bunch of contenders who are saying a lot of things to gain office that they will too change and forget if they gain office.

The point is this:

Perhaps we get suprized and one of the new people gets in office and keeps his word and things actually do get better. Its a chance and a long shot but I still cannot judge until I see. That would not be fair. So between the election of someone new and his first fuck up, I can be happy for a moment and feel like things for myself and my home that I love will start looking up. Otherwise, I just need to find some European bloke to marry me now so I can get a dual citizenship. I for one know that I cannot handle another year with the job market this far down. It's bad enough that I need to take on more debt to go back to school to find another career. I enjoyed IT.

I also cannot watch more and more special interest agendas come up on the plate when there are problems that are much more pressing.

With Bush, I know exactly what I am getting and it isn't good for me and my interests and he never will be. He does not care about non-christan, single, females who have degrees in Psychology but have worked for years in Technology. He does not offer me anything for me to want to support him. It really is "but what am I going to get out of it."

I'm off to the UK again next month for a week. I have to look forward to being pulled out of line again and searched (don't ask me why- Since 9/11, I have ALWAYS been pulled aside on both sides of the ocean. Once, it only me too, which was very embaressing.) I have to look forward to Europeans who don't know me not being as nice as they used to be. Paying much more at the airport (a little under half of my ticket fare is in US Homeland security fees). The dollar sucks to the Euro.

At the end of the day, the Arabs hate us more than ever which hasn't made things any safer for me abroad or here.

So I can at least be really, fucking, HAPPY if I hear someone else won until it stays the same or gets worse. Hope is what keeps you going because right now, I feel like giving up.

Dirtgrain,

My point exactly. Polls are bullshit. And you are correct on how people should vote. There was a time when the media was support the news and the facts. Now everyone is an investigative reporter/commentator and if people are too lazy to get to the facts and figures, it becomes even more easy to manipulate them. The Dean thing is a good example. He was number one. Then he was third in the Iowa caucus. Then the did that hollar. Then the media played that hollar over, and over, and over again out of context of why it was done. Look at what it did to his campaign.

Oh... and the books. Sometimes I can't find anything that is interesting to the subject so I just pick something that look interesting that I think someone would like to buy. If it is a sex book, you KNOW someone is going to look at it. ;)

that all sounds reasonable

Why thanks, Eric... I may be passionate, but I am not unreasonable. =)

I appreciate your "give 'em something to amuse themselves with" Amazon policy!

"eric: how would your life be different with Kerry or Edwards or whomever as president? Seriously."

- A possibility of vetoes on the most damaging acts of congress, so better quality of life for people, not quite so easy a life for Big Pharma, Agri-business, campaign contributors.

- No Cheney, Wolfowitz, Abrams, Armitage, etc. so a rational foreign policies on on trade, immigration and foreign relations, and better national and personal security.

- No Ashcroft so no hard-core religious nuts telling Americans "thou shalt do everything we say, and only what we say" (at least that seems to be the plan) and better privacy.

- No Michael Powell so a positive effect on the information and entertainment available to everyone (man, this is one apple that seems to have fallen far from the tree) .

- Et cetera, et cetera, et cetera.


All of this is especially important today, as it looks like the right may gain 3 seats in the Senate and has gerrymandered at least 6 additional seats in the House for the next election.