A wild day in the stock market and the beginning of the Republican slime campaign, along with some weird military rumors, all have my spinning head looking for some answers.
I know this diary will at first look pretty scattered, in terms of subjects covered, but that's the kind of day it's been for me. Anyone who has spent the better part of a day trying to salvage their 401k and make sure their other meager savings are FDIC insured will know what I mean. Even so, this amazing presidential campaign marches on, and the recent twists and turns of politics, and the economy, seem intertwined, to say the least. So, if you'll forgive a baseball reference, let's look at some things out of left field, right field, off the wall and maybe even in the brain trusts in the dugout.
1. I recently saw, on Bill Maher's show, Bob Woodward, referring to the surge in Iraq as being due to 'classified techniques', not a military build-up. He implied that the U.S. may have some new gee-whiz technology that is giving the bad guys fits and suppressing their evil plans. I have no idea what it is or even if the claim is true, but I did notice the other day that the Taliban apparently took a big hit in Pakistan, so much so that they publicly whined about it; that alone seems unusual, and is all the more interesting in the context of the 'classified techniques' thing. For me, that leads to the question of whether or not we are on the verge of finally taking out Osama, and if so, what does that mean for Obama or McCain? I confess that I simply don't know, but I suspect that in McCain's brain any diversion of the political discussion toward the war on terror would be a good thing for the Republicans. Is that true?
2. The polls seem to indicate that Obama is benefitting a great deal from the current economic crisis. I think he has a solid 3 point lead, and that's taking a conservative 'worst case scenario' approach to the margin of error, undecided voters, polling errors, etc. It occurred to me, and I'm sure others as well, that McCain might have turned this issue somewhat to his adavantage by voting a g a i n s t the bailout plan. The polls show that well over 60% of the public is unhappy with the bailout, so did I miss something? What if McCain had taken an anti-bailout stance and showed his maverickness?
3. Since I'm old enough to remember the numerous occasions that the Democrats have blown slam dunk elections, and given McCain's unpredictability, I admit to being paranoid about Obama's chances. We all know that the Republican slime machine is gearing up this week, but is there another McCain stunt on the horizon? I hesitate to speculate, but if he starts talking about 'getting Osama' . . . well, look out.
4. I personally find it interesting that the candidates are being asked what part of their energy or other economic plans would they sacrifice in light of the current economic disaster, but no one seems to ask whether or not we can also afford to continue the war in Iraq. Again, did I miss someting?
Well, I wish I were providing answers instead of questions, but I hope to learn more through these diaries and responses. May God bless Democrats, Obama, and the DOW.
Mike Stewart