Rather than litter up packbat's comment thread with continued debate, I'll acknowledge your points and offer one more piece of data ...
I've been working at a newspaper for most of the Oughts, and spent a long stretch of the last four years lurking at length on a number of political blogs. So I've had a decent chance to track the political climate, and how it's been changing.
All of the observations you make are true, but ... things are getting better. I honestly believe that. The Bush administration will always have its true believers, but he's getting to the point where in his zeal to do the things the true believers believe in, he's alienating virtually everyone else. His 28% approval rating this week is a new low; 2/3 think we should be working to get out of Iraq. Etc.
You might take some solace in the fact that national Democrats are no more popular. But the system we're given says that those are the two choices, and without a lot of resources to throw at it, that system has proven pretty resistant to change.
You think change is possible, now, regardless ... I think the system can produce acceptable results in 2008 while we're finding something better. That makes us both optimists of a different sort.
Of course, if Bush declares martial law (http://www.altpr.org/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=665&mode=thread&order=0&thold=0) before the election, so much for optimism. I'll race you to Canada.
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timeasmymeasure
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I've been working at a newspaper for most of the Oughts, and spent a long stretch of the last four years lurking at length on a number of political blogs. So I've had a decent chance to track the political climate, and how it's been changing.
All of the observations you make are true, but ... things are getting better. I honestly believe that. The Bush administration will always have its true believers, but he's getting to the point where in his zeal to do the things the true believers believe in, he's alienating virtually everyone else. His 28% approval rating this week is a new low; 2/3 think we should be working to get out of Iraq. Etc.
You might take some solace in the fact that national Democrats are no more popular. But the system we're given says that those are the two choices, and without a lot of resources to throw at it, that system has proven pretty resistant to change.
You think change is possible, now, regardless ... I think the system can produce acceptable results in 2008 while we're finding something better. That makes us both optimists of a different sort.
Of course, if Bush declares martial law (http://www.altpr.org/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=665&mode=thread&order=0&thold=0) before the election, so much for optimism. I'll race you to Canada.