Some startling things here:

1) People often don't THINK about their votes but FEEL them. You're darn tootin' Jimmy Carter got blamed for the oil crisis, even though it wasn't his fault any more than the Iran hostage crisis was (that one goes WAY back), and don't think the Republicans didn't take advantage of that. Ford and Nixon got blamed for inflation (with a little more justification) in their turn.

2) Explain the Clinton years, that long national nightmare of peace and prosperity, when liberal policies got us eight years of good times. Just as the Democrats are pushing the "jobless recovery" meme (which is true in my neck of the woods if not yours, and the jobs we ARE getting are absolute crap), the Republicans are trying to push the "Clinton recession" meme and not getting too far.

3) The jobless figures also don't take into account the people who've just given up and stopped looking, and those who have fallen off the unemployment rolls.

4) There apparently *is* a free lunch if you run a company called Halliburton.

If I were a Republican I'd be ashamed of the current bunch of standard-holders. They don't do much for the party image. Where's Barry Goldwater when you need him, or Ike? Or Mark Hatfield, for crying out loud? REAL Republicans! Not that I'm thrilled with John Kerry but you don't see me going rah Kerry rah! just because I'm registered Democratic...

Lynn Siprelle, Editor