America is in decline. That means substance matters to voters, which is bad news for Republicans

from the Guardian UK:



Whisper it: this election will be decided on the issues
America is a country in decline. And that means substance really matters to voters, which is very bad news for Republicans

Michael Tomasky in Washington
The Guardian, Monday October 6 2008



Pssst. Don't spread it around too much, because there's still a month to go and I don't want to jinx things - but substance is in this year. You, I know, think US presidential elections are always decided by silly or superficial or out-and-out false representations and aspersions. Al Gore sighed too much in a debate and wasn't the sort of fellow you'd like to have a beer with. George W Bush never sighed once, as far as anyone could tell, and was the sort you'd like to have a beer with (even though he didn't drink beer - I never quite sorted that one out). John Kerry seemed so French and effete. He windsurfed. And he didn't save all those men during the Vietnam war. How could he have, really, being so ... French and effete and windsurfy?

Little glimmers of substance have usually shown through. In 2004, for instance, a still-significant percentage of American voters remained jittery about a second large-scale terrorist attack on US soil. Bush ran as the man who had prevented that from happening and argued that he was more trustworthy on this matter than Kerry. And Bill Clinton withstood an intensive barrage of over-the-top attacks and stayed focused on the economy (he was helped along by third-party candidate Ross Perot's hefty 19% of the vote).

Superficialities and attacks, though, usually dominate. We understand this. In fact, more than a few liberals have spent the last four years trying to persuade Democrats to be every bit as superficial and nasty as the Republicans are at election time. But this year, something feels different. Voters are actually paying closer attention to issues.

It is the result, no doubt, of the US being in terrible shape right now. It tends to focus the mind. The economy is terrible. The stock market is terrible. Indicators of general societal wellbeing, like healthcare and pensions, are terrible. Our standing in the world is terrible. The conditions in Afghanistan are terrible. The situation in Iraq is improved but was so terrible for so long that people just basically want out.

We are a country in decline. The decline is the result of the policies of the last eight years. Everyone outside of hardcore conservatives knows this. No candidate for president can utter the sentence "we are a country in decline". America's central myth about itself is that, unlike Rome or Austria-Hungary or (sorry) an earlier Britain, we are impervious to time's vicissitudes and will always be numero uno. People now are worried that underneath that bravado, maybe we won't be. ...........(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/oct/06/uselections2008.barackobama

many are only involved to that extent when their pocketbook is feeling lighter or they are afraid we are on the wrong track. This time we will win because both are evident to any thinking person.