The results of a recent Gallup Daily Tracking Poll illuminate a very telling difference between supporters of Barack Obama and John McCain.  73% of the Illinois Senator's supporters believe the economy is in a recession or depression.  McCain loyalists?  45%.  That figure is correct, more than half of McCain's supporters do not believe we are experiencing a recession or depression event.  My initial reaction was that these people must be wealthy and insulated from the economic travails most of of face on a daily basis.  But that can't be right.  Are a quarter of Americans actually that well off?  Hell no.  That tells me that McCain has either a lot of "glass half-full" or "brain half-empty" supporters.  I'm not an economist and I don't pretend to be but allow me to share my personal economic situation to explain to any McCain trollers exactly why I'm supporting Obama.  I make about $15,000 a year in take home pay.  After rent and groceries, a cell phone bill, state minimum car insurance and student loans I have very little left over.  I get health insurance through my job, and my premiums are pretty high.  All the same I manage to save a little money.  If Barack Obama is elected there are two things I particularly look forward to.  The first is a comprehensive health care bill.  I know there are no guarantees but if his health care plan were implemented I could purchase a better plan than the one I have for less money.  More money for my savings account.  Second, his tax plan would allow me to save (by my calculation) an additional $1,200.  What's the point of all this?  That savings account of mine.  You see I don't particularly like my cash sitting around generating very little interest.  I would like to either invest it in the stock market or in myself and go back to school.  Am I, average Joe American, going to invest a dime if someone is elected that has supported financial de-regulation for 26 years?  Hell no.  Am I, football-watcher and cold pizza-eater, going to incur more debt in a foundering job market?  Hell no.  And that's the point.  No matter how much crap the Republicans spout about the wealthy driving our economy it is people like me and the rest of the middle class who have to be willing to spend, invest and take a few chances for our economy to rebound.  What's the number one cause of bankruptcy in America?  Health care costs.  If every man and woman in America believed that if they or a loved one got sick- really sick- they would be fully covered and cared for, how much more would they spend and invest?  Would they maybe even take a few chances? 

I came across an excellent piece from The Nation today.  Check it out.  www.nation.co.ke/News/world/-/1068/469652/-/rxnf86/-/ It confirms one of the things I have long suspected- that our advantage in registration is not reflected in the current polls.  Gallup and USA Today are specifically listed as using roughly equal numbers of Democrats and Republicans in their polls.  This is a problem because there are currently 11 million more Democrats than Republicans registered to vote in the country.   But it goes much deeper than that.  What exactly has led to the current state of panic in blogistan?  These very polls.  The media pursuing McCain's asinine "lipstick" story is not to blame.  Neither is his blatant skullduggery in the latest ads.  It's these polls, leading us to believe that once again the forces of darkness have enveloped our brightest hopes.   THEY HAVE NOT.  I believe if this election were held today we would still win (with Colorado, New Mexico and New Hampshire.)  We will win if we don't fall for another massive psych-out.  Deflating us is how they win.  Don't be beaten down.  If we knock on more doors, register more voters, and make more phone calls, we will win.  Hook up with the campaign now.