You want to know what is the saddest thing about these "interesting times" for me? As much as I fear the possibility that terrorists might attack us again, I have an even greater fear of what the Bushies will do to take advantage of the outrage that would be generated by such an attack. I fear Dubya far more then I do bin Laden That is truly sad.

New Krugman is up! The Sons Also Rise : For years, opinion leaders have told us that it's all about family values. And it is — but it will take a while before most people realize that they meant the value of coming from the right family. My wife and I have recently become fans of Upstairs Downstairs. We have been renting the DVDs through Netflix. It is interesting to see a show that documents the breakdown at the turn of the (last) century of the class order in England at the very same time that a new class order comes into flower here in America. For years the Republicans have tried to deflect discussion of this matter by screaming "CLASS WARFARE" anytime someone brings it up (remember: it's only class warfare if you attack the rich). But, I forsee a time in the not so distant future where they won't even bother pretending anymore and will just go about acting like this is the natural order of things and how dare you rise above your station to criticize it. Dubya already reeks of this arrogant attitude of "to the manor born". Only the existence of a compliant media prevents him from being criticized for his frequent invocation of his own superiority. Just witness his recent comments to Bob Woodward about his not having to answer to anyone because he is "The President".

This is something I penned a few months back but it is still as relevent today as it was then... (With apologies to Country Joe & The Fish) Yeah, come on all of you, big strong men, Another Bush needs your help again. He's got himself in an awful huff Way on over in the Persian Gulf So put down your books and pick up a gun, We're gonna have a whole lotta fun. And it's one, two, three, What are we fighting for ? Don't ask me, I don't give a damn, Let's go and bomb Sadaam; And it's five, six, seven, Open up the pearly gates, Well there ain't no time to wonder why, Whoopee! we're all gonna die. Well, come on generals, let's move fast; Your big chance has come at last. Gotta go and get those towelheads— The only good muslim is the one who's dead And you know that peace can only be won When we've blown 'em all to kingdom come. And it's one, two, three, What are we fighting for ? Don't ask me, I don't give a damn, Let's go and bomb Sadaam; And it's five, six, seven, Open up the pearly gates, Well there ain't no time to wonder why, Whoopee! we're all gonna die. Huh! Well, come on Wall Street, don't move slow, Why man, this is war au-go-go. There's plenty good money to be made By supplying the Army with the tools of the trade, Just hope and pray that if they drop the bomb, They drop it on old Sadaam. And it's one, two, three, What are we fighting for ? Don't ask me, I don't give a damn, Let's just bomb Sadaam. And it's five, six, seven, Open up the pearly gates, Well there ain't no time to wonder why, Whoopee! we're all gonna die. Well, come on mothers stop the SUV, Pack your boys off to the Middle East. Come on fathers, don't hesitate, Send 'em off before it's too late. Be the first one on your block To have your boy come home in a box. And it's one, two, three What are we fighting for ? Don't ask me, I don't give a crap, I said let's bomb Iraq. And it's five, six, seven, Open up the pearly gates, Well there ain't no time to wonder why, Whoopee! we're all gonna die.

I was struck by something last night... Common political wisdom of the last decade or so is that the winning candidate is the one who most appeals to the middle of the political spectrum. Every election year there is a 15-20% group of individuals called The Undecided by the pollsters who often either don't vote or make their final decision at the last possible moment. Analysts and pundits claim that the victor in an election is the one who can most appeal to the interests of this group. Find out what they want, give it to them, and you will win. These same analysists and pundits then go on to claim that the trend in Republican victories indicates that this center group has started to swing to the right. I think this is incorrect. The single most defining factor of the undecided middle is simply that: they are undecided. They have no really strong political opinion one way or the other. To say that they are swinging one direction or the other simply means that they are LEAVING the undecided group and becoming partisan in their leanings. Yet the size of the undecided group has, if anything, GROWN in recent years. It comes down to this: the middle doesn't want a candidate who will cater to what they want for the simple reason that they don't KNOW what they want. They will go with pretty much whatever they are sold on by the most forceful and omnipresent candidate. Therefore, a good candidate is one who brings the middle OVER to THEIR side, not one who fine-tunes their message to match the desires of the undecided. When a candidate comes along who presents themselves in a confident and assured manner and appeals to their best instincts then they will OVERWHELMINGLY go for that candidate. This is especially true when the other side doesn't present them with any compelling reason to chose their guy. The mistake the Democrats have been making repeatedly is to try to figure out what this group wants instead of simply TELLING them what they want. The Democrats come off looking weak and fawning to a group of political Martys. The Republicans have figured this out. It is why Bush can get away with baldly assertive claims about representing the will of the American people. He DOES represent the right most certainly. But he also represents the middle because they simply haven't been given a stronger alternative. If the Democrats nominate a candidate who can win this group over (or at least split them evenly) then they will have a chance against Bush. But if they continue to try to discover the elusive (i.e., non-existent) key to the heart of the muddled middle then they will continue to wander in the wilderness for a long time to come.