OHIO: A LITTLE PIECE OF BUSH WORLD

This National Review Online piece analyzing why Kerry will lose Ohio is terribly depressing:

Despite this favorable landscape, however, Kerry found himself behind in all the major polls and fighting rumors that Ohio was getting away from him. All of the momentum seemed to be on President Bush's side and a Fox News/Opinion Dynamics poll released September 23 has Bush leading 48-42 in Ohio. Kerry has recently begun to hit the president hard on Iraq and the media mood seems to be swinging in his direction, but he still finds himself fighting an uphill battle in this crucial battleground state. So what happened?

Bush's success has come from three main strengths: rhetoric, personality, and organization.

I'm not prepared to agree that Kerry will lose Ohio -- recent reports indicate that the Kerry Get Out The Vote organization is making great inroads in voter registration there -- but this is the kind of thing that is so discouraging to thinking people. As the author suggests, all the issues are against Bush and for Kerry, but Bush will win because he says the same thing over and over (the Big Lie), smirks and preens and pretends to be a cowboy (this the man who won't enter the Oval Office even in the middle of the night until he's donned a suit) and recalls the happy cheerleader who was the life of the party, and because his political organization is far better than his governmental one (shows where HIS priorities are).

In Bush World, gay marriage is a greater threat to our people than lost jobs and economic security. In Bush World, whatever the pResident says is taken as gospel truth regardless of evidence to the contrary. In Bush World, not admitting mistakes is perceived as being "positive" and "supportive of our troops," no matter if it endangers more and more of our military troops' lives and futures.

I don't want to live in that world. And if Bush is re-elected, I swear to God I'm going to find a way to get out of this country. I am not prepared to sacrifice my golden years to the fantasies of a criminally irresponsible frat boy playing at being king.

UPDATE: Ann Richards feels the same way:

"If we in this country have become the kind of people that we don't want to know anything more than some simplistic answer or non-answer to questions, then God help us," she said. "If we want to elect people to public office whose whole purpose and goal is to avoid controversy and avoid answering the tough questions about government, then we're in terrible shape."