“I’m not quite as pessimistic as you are…”

(*SMILE*)

Sure you are! But, ok… I’ll play along. Give me a VIABLE pathway towards reversing not only the financial, social, and political damage done to the nation over whatever period you choose to concentrate on, AND, give me an equally viable escape from demographic reality, the unmistakable implications of same, not to mention the unsupportable long term debt obligations of the national government and the various state governments.

Hey… Mike… I’d LOVE to be convinced that I’m wrong.

(*SHRUG*)

Give it your best shot.

BILL

In every presidential election of my lifetime, the candidate who seemed better looking and more likable has won. Period.

Carter over Ford (not much in looks on either side, but Carter more likable)

Reagan over Carter (more likable, plus memories of Reagan as good-looking movie star)

Reagan over Mondale (both counts)

Bush over Dukakis (dems chose the one guy less charismatic than Bush)

Clinton over Bush (both counts)

Clinton over Dole (no contest)

Bush over Gore (close, but Bush being more likable at the time probably sealed it)

Bush over Kerry (picking a stiff and wordy guy based on record alone was a mistake)

Obama over McCain (Clinton-Dole redux)

I’m not quite as pessimistic as you are but it will be an interesting few years to come. I think the Democrats are facing electoral disaster next year but anything can happen. The Republicans really wrecked the brand in the 2000s. I blame Hastert but also Alan Greenspan deserves a lot of blame for the financial crisis. I think he knows it and looks even more hangdog than usual on the TV shows.

(You’ve got my ADD acting up!) (*GRIN*)

As to substance… in the Age of Obama (heck… even if we go back to the Age of Bush) what does it matter if pensions bankrupt municipalities across the country – Obama and the Dems will just bail ‘em out!

Doc. The words “accounting” and “budget” mean NOTHING to the RINOs and the Dems. It’s all play money to them; when the inflation hits in earnest they’ll just blame it on a variety of strawmen.

In just the bills passed this last week, what percentage of the pork went to RINOs?

Doc. Congress *is* the problem – regardless of which Party controls it.

(Yes, yes… the Dems are worse by an order of magnitude, but the thesis remains the same.

Doc. DEMOCRACY is the problem. There aren’t enough smart people to counteract the moronic majority.

(Hey… cute, huh… a take-off on the old “Moral Majority.) (*WINK*)

Doc. Drink. Self-medicate. Focus on playing with the grandkids and try your best not to think of their eventual likely fate.

Doc. We – you and I and some (relatively) few other understand that there’s no hope. Oh… we’ll keep on spitting in the wind because it’s a gesture and we need to feel that we’re TRYING… (*SIGH*)… but you know as well as I do there’s no chance of victory absent armed revolution and that’s not gonna happen in time to pull us back from the brink.

Forget the healthcare bill; next year the Amnesty bill they’ll muscle through will put paid on this country’s account. We’re done… stick a fork in the good old U.S.A.

BILL