This commentary ran in the Boston Globe. The author takes a different look at the issues that may drive votes in 2004. He draws some interesting points, and the article finds me hopeful that more and more of the sheep will realize the pen is getting smaller and smaller.

and

And the entire piece:

Can Bush Get Reelected?

Patience is not exactly a hallmark of American culture (we're the nation that invented fast food ), so the longer the occupations of Iraq and Afghanistan drag on, and the more potshots are taken at soldiers who (for the most part) just want to get out and come home, and the longer those taunting tapes (real or otherwise) of Hussein keep airing, the weaker the current administration looks on national security. Paying enlisted servicemembers peanuts (and "part-time" Guard/reservists even less) doesn't help either. And that's assuming no major attacks before the election ("Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me"). Gulf War II could backfire just like Gulf War I.

Then again, it could all come down to whose ad budget is bigger. Sorry if I sound cynical, but looking back on the past few decades, I have my reasons.

... and as my Daddy says, "Never underestimate the stupidity of the American public." frown

GJ: you are so right honey. Again, this next years election is so important. As a community we cannot let apathy win out!

Let's tell 'em to puck off!

wink

This is a really interesting situation for the Dems. They really have to hope that things don't get better for the US in the coming year. More job losses would be great. More dead soldiers in Iraq would be splendid. Another terrorist attack would be boffo. This is really the only way the Democrats can win.

[ July 11, 2003, 12:52 PM: Message edited by: William1865 ]

Have to want things to go rather terribly next year?? William, what about now? Where have you been????? wink

Snapshots from the past few weeks:

1.

Let's try it again -- damn, I'll learn to work this computer sometime in my lifetime

Snapshots from the past few weeks:

1.

Let's try this again ---

The past few weeks I have had the following experiences that tell me the economy is tanking:

1. Went to Rehoboth Beach for the 4th weekend. Four friends from DC lost their jobs within the past few months.

2. The place we stay told us they haven't been this slow since the 1980's.

3. Didn't need a reservation at any of the restaurants where you usually have to book a week in advance for the holiday.

4. Another friend was laid off from his editing job this week.

5. Noticed that even in the service sector in the resort areas there are no Help Wanted signs.

And on it goes... This recession is finally starting to hit home for a lot of people who were very apathetic.

The tax cuts have done NOTHING to stimulate the economy. This President is the biggest deficit spender in history. No coherent economic policy and spending billions on bogus wars. People are starting to "get it".

Leaving the P&R thread...
Coming back...
Leaving....
Coming back...
oh, and busy working from within.

The new tax cuts have barely kicked in yet, they just started registering in people's paychecks. Child tax credits will start going out soon. The tax cuts would have been more effective if they were bigger, but Dems kept them miniscule because they don't want the economy to recover. Here in Northern Virginia, I see "Help Wanted" signs all over the place. Two of my friends just got new jobs. If some places were overstaffed or poorly managed to begin with, that's not the President's fault.

Besides - what's the Dems solution to all of this? A $2 trillion tax hike? That's what Dean's calling for. Bring 'em on.

William, I really want to know what you put in your Ovaltine every morning. Perhaps we all need some of it to cloud over the reality of what is actually going on out in the world. Bigger tax cuts? Jobs available all over the place?

Perhaps your neighborhood is located in the 2% of the country where every day brings rainbows and leprachauns with pots of gold. Most of the rest of us are living in every day America where people are out of work, pissed off, and wanting to know when someone will care enough to make things better.

Spreading pixie dust all over may seem like fun, but in the end, it just requires you to do more vacuuming.

The tax cuts the idiot put in place in Texas have now had years to "work". They have produced disastrous results. William -- how can you possibly defend this guy's fiscal policies with a straight face?

This from a guy who took three tries to post a list.

Originally posted by mdphl: The past few weeks I have had the following experiences that tell me the economy is tanking:

Went to Rehoboth Beach for the 4th weekend. Four friends from DC lost their jobs within the past few months.

***What are they doing in Rehoboth then? Shouldn't they be saving money?****

Originally posted by mdphl: The place we stay told us they haven't been this slow since the 1980's.

****Maybe that place just sucks, or better places have opened. Hasn't Rehoboth gotten somewhat more popular and thus developed since the 80s?****

Originally posted by mdphl: Didn't need a reservation at any of the restaurants where you usually have to book a week in advance for the holiday.

******Well hell, count your blessings. On behalf of President Bush and all Republicans, let me offer my most sincere apologies that you got to eat where you wanted to eat. *******

Originally posted by mdphl: Noticed that even in the service sector in the resort areas there are no Help Wanted signs.

*****Maybe they had hired everybody they needed to hire in preparation for the busy summer season.********

Originally posted by mdphl: And on it goes... This recession is finally starting to hit home for a lot of people who were very apathetic.

******Oh, yes. Fear and Loathing in Rehoboth. There goes the crucial "People Who Summer At Beach Resorts Popular With Gays and Lesbians" voting bloc. How will Bush ever take Deleware's must-have electoral votes without the support of people who don't even live there?****************

I'm giving you anecdotal evidence, just like mdphl was giving anecdotal evidence. You didn't seem to mind his "Rehoboth Beach on a holiday weekend = A bellweather for the American economy" argument.

William1865, can you please condense your messages into one post. Do not send multiple posts. On behalf of Outsports, your cooperation in this matter is greatly appreciated.

[ July 11, 2003, 03:25 PM: Message edited by: cowboystx ]

Since I live in a B2B world, and interact with all ranges of business, I can tell you that I've noticed that companies are a little more willing in the last six months to make small upgrades in their business. Spending is rising, if only slightly. But the spending is not on head count.

What I hear, over and over again, is that personnel expansion is not on anyone's radar. At least for the clients I work with. So although the corporate world is moving toward a slight recovery, this recovery is not geared toward to lessening the 6.4% unemployment rate. Employers seem to have become entrenched in expecting their staff to do far more, and to do it for the same salary or possibly even with a pay cut.

This is a recipe for higher crime rates in the not too distant future. LA is a perfect example - crime reached an apex in the mid 90's. It then fell (without the aid of the incompetent LAPD) in the late 90's. Why? More people had jobs...and hope.

Now crime is once more on the rise in LA.

Did the moderators ask you to post this? If so, I can't imagine why they didn't just post it themselves as opposed to having someone else post it. At any rate, you could have sent me a private message, rather than trying to show me up in front of the entire board. Sorry you guys seem to think I'm such a f**k up.

At any rate (notice this is all in one post, I'm sure everyone's so proud of me...)

A) The first post was referring to a feature of a specific post, i.e. the trouble he had posting, as opposed to the substance of the post. In the two subsequent posts, I was replying to two different posts, from two different posters, who said two different things. I would think it would be confusing to throw a bunch of stuff together like that.

What difference does it make anyway? If I "condensed" them both into one post, it would be exactly the same length, just in one post. Is there some technical reason why it is better to have one long post responding to several different posts as opposed to two separate posts which, lengthwise, would equal the same as the one long post? I honestly don't understand.

[ July 14, 2003, 06:48 AM: Message edited by: William1865 ]

Originally posted by William1865:
Sorry you guys seem to think I'm such a f**k up.


Does this mean you're leaving and never coming back again, again?
wink

Boy oh boy, you guys should quit pickin on wm1865... or else...

if ya'all are basing the economy on "personal" travel experiences... PF was in Vegas, and that joint was PACKED... Casino was packed... pool was packed... so the economy must be GREAT. To the gloom and doomers, that will be dismissed... but an easy reservation means the world is in a depression... blah... next...

W1865: The problem that I have with your posts are that they are (1) too short and (2) too infrequent. They need to be longer and more frequent, so that I can savor each word, each thrust and parry.

Bill Bennett does take up alot of space.

Billy B handed PF a chip and said good luck kid... i cashed it in and hit the nickle slots rather than those 50 dollar machines...

Since ya'all can easily judge the economy via someones little vacation and not waiting in line for a table... I thought i would offset that theory and call it even.

I know you cant be talking about a potato or corn chip, BB would never give that up.

I said bill... while we were chowing down at the buffet... maybe you should spend some more time in the salad line rather than the crab leg line...

To which he replied, "Don't bet on it."

Pasta salad...potato salad...macaroni salad...egg salad...shrimp salad...tuna salad...crab salad...chicken salad...pork chop salad...Bennett would still be a happy camper...

There was no potato or pork chop salad cause the DOJ homos ate it all at the pic-nic they had.

Good for you PhillyFan I knew you'd find some way to spend that tax cut money.

CITT explained the budget problems of the state, so i did my best to now give them a surplus.

I've actually been thinking about this. Maybe it's all the talk about Designing Women and seersuckers (other threads, no pun intended), but I'm really getting in touch with my inner Southern belle. What I need is a door to slam. You know how we have smiley faces, sad faces, surprised faces, etc.? I need an icon that represents a door being slammed hard enough to be heard two or three houses away.

That way, I won't just leave the P&R forum, I'll go out with a flourish. And then, after announcing in no uncertain terms that "I am never speaking to you ever again for as long as I live. Ever!" I could then fling the door back open a while later, stomp back in and say, "And let me tell you something else..." Southern belles are notorious door slammers, but they always come back for more.

Just an idea...

I like it William. Everytime you say you're leaving and not coming back Ill try to visualize you slamming a door.

[quote]William1865:
[QUOTE]What I need is a door to slam. You know how we have smiley faces, sad faces, surprised faces, etc.? I need an icon that represents a door being slammed hard enough to be heard two or three houses away. [/quote]Just make sure there's no Addison DeWitt ("All about Eve") nearby to destroy your door-slamming stunt with the devastating line, "You're too short for that gesture!"