Most Republicans - most
conservatives - will now tell pollsters that they fully understand that Sarah Palin is as qualified to be President as is Elmer Fudd.
These and many other things are making it obvious that the American public is about done with buying into the idea that foaming at the mouth insanity and conspiracy theory adherence combine into a major political movement. As the economy and public outlook improve, moreover, the desire to turn to a given Dark Side will become less popular, further eroding the support for a GOP that gets its talking points from mimeographed pamphlets found in public restrooms.
The economy and public outlook are improving, by the way. Just one view from my trip last week gives a strong indication that an important sector is feeling very saucy: tech. At RSA last week in San Francisco (the largest Information Security trade show in the world) the halls were packed from the beginning until the end. Last year part of the Moscone center hall was curtained off and you could have fired a cannon and not hit anyone on the last day. People in Silicon Valley are leaving earlier for work than last year, because the roads are more crowded.
I feel so confident about this year in so many ways, in fact, that I'll go out on the limb and say that:
o this year is going to get better and better in general as it goes on,
o HCR is about to pass proving that Obama has been right all along, (and doing it by following the rules the Founders intended won't be lost on everyone)
o the economy is going to sail forward into clear stability and growth
o the US is going to continue to do better than most countries economically
o Iran and Afghanistan will continue to improve, with large numbers of troops out of Iraq by October
o the 'just say no' of the GOP and the extremes of the Tea Party will look less attractive and gain more public ridicule month-by-month all year. By late summer we will all remember how screwed up the GOP was in Now 2008 and realize that it really hasn't taken a turn for the better since.
The US dollar is up, Americans have more in savings on average than ever, tech companies are cranking up hiring and Bev Perdue here in NC just said she wants to restore the half percentage cut in state workers' pay. Americans don't like being gloomy for a long time, and the Beckian Death-Knell approach has already peaked in popularity. The GOP will not take back the House in Nov, and most likely not the Senate either.
I love the smell of Spring in the air. It's so refreshing!
