The Injustice of it All

President elect Obama will get the credit for "fixing" the economy -- at least that's what people think and what will likely be the response of the media when it turns around -- and it WILL turn around. (see the poll here)

There are many who have compared the current economic crisis to that of the Great Depression. There are admittedly many parallels, but there is one BIG difference. It took the federal government several years before they kicked in gear the spending stimulus necessary to re-start the economic engine of the country during the Great Depression. President Bush, on his watch, responded immediately with a huge stimulus package. The problem with any economic stimulus package is the delay between implementation and the harvest of results. I suspect that toward the end of 2009 we will begin to see a turnaround and by the end of 2010, we will be running at full steam again -- NOT because of the miraculous hand of Obama, but because of the quick action of the Bush administration.

I do have some concern about the timing of the turnaround. That is because policies enacted by Obama in his first months could easily delay the return of a healthy economy. It will depend largely on his approach to taxation and the willingness of Congress to follow him. I hope the GOP is prepared and willing to stand firmly against tax increases.

Impact of Racial Bias on 2008 Presidential Election

If you think that race didn't play an important role in the 2008 Presidential race, think again. According the the NY Times exit polling data, white voters were nearly evenly split between the two candidates. However, black voters voted overwhelmingly (95%) for the candidate they identified with their race. Who is it that has a racist attitude?

Presidential Polling Shifts

Are the polls correct? It is sometimes difficult to trust polling results because the questions always reflect the bias of the poll creator. However, in the last few days we have seen multiple articles concerning significant shifts in poll results from Obama to McCain -- especially among women and independents. I doubt that all of the polls are wrong...

Texas Polls and the Senate Race

The Texas Senate race this year is a match up between the Republican incumbent, John Cornyn, and State Representative Rick Noriega, a Democrat. In many ways, it is easy for the people of the state to dismiss the race as a foregone conclusion. Such an attitude could be very dangerous for Senator Cornyn. That is why he is spending a lot of time campaigning this election season.

The latest poll, produced by the University of Texas, shows Cornyn with a lead of 13% with a split of 44% to 31%. That seems to be a strong lead until you consider that almost 25% of those surveyed expressed no preference. That large number could significantly sway the election either direction.

The large number of "no preference" voters may be a reflection of the general dissatisfaction with Congress and with government in general. In the same poll, respondents were asked to express whether they thought the country was heading in the right direction, or the wrong direction. Those who thought we were heading in the right direction accounted for 20% of the responses while those who thought we were heading in the wrong direction accounted for 67% of the responses.

Economic perceptions were also assessed in the polling questions. Respondents indicated they thought the country was in worse economic shape by 81% as compared to 2% believing the country was better off. I believe this response is largely shaped by media constantly barraging print and air with stories of how poorly the economy is doing. However, when asked about their personal economic situation, 51% thought their personal situation was the same or better.

The Presidential race is likely to have a strong impact on the Senate race vote. Many down ballot votes will follow the party of the voter's Presidential candidate choice. In the Presidential race, the votes track fairly closely with the Senate race with a 42% to 33% split -- slightly narrower, but strongly in favor of McCain. That leaves 25% who are either undecided are who prefer a minor party candidate.

The number that really stands out to me is the almost 25% who expressed no preference in the Senate and Presidential races. I believe that it is because they see Congress -- and government in general -- as not acting in their best interests. It reflects the growing segment of the population who feel powerless to affect the legislative process.

Cornyn Enjoys Significant Lead in Poll

U.S. Senator John Cornyn of Texas has demonstrated strong leadership in border security/immigration issues, energy production to ease our dependence on foreign oil, taking care of our military and their families and in promoting high ethical standards for members of Congress. In spite of -- or perhaps because of --his efforts in the service of his constituency which shares those same values, the Democrats have painted a large bullseye on his back. Their recruit for those purposes is a seemingly confused Rick Noriega.

In spite of their efforts, Senator Cornyn continues to enjoy a significant lead according to the latest Rasmussen poll. There will be continued attacks from the left, but the voters of Texas are usually fairly astute at seeing through the smoke screen.

British Common Sense

In spite of the fact that Britain seems quite frequently to be headed "off-the-deep-end" on many issues, the general population there usually demonstrates decidedly good common sense. In spite of the rush by the British government to embrace the concept that mankind is responsible for the much publicized coming "global crisis of dramatic climate change," the public is somewhat skeptical. A recent poll there indicated that although many accept that the climate is changing, they doubt that man's activities are the cause. Even more doubt the ability of governments to do anything about it.