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I agree with you about disquiet regarding the election. I'm convinced that this election is GW Bush's, and the Republicans', to lose. Which means that if they don't kick it into gear soon, it could be lost. Most bothersome is that there's about 10% of the electorate that has no real convictions one way or another regarding the candidates, and they sway back and forth, depending on the impressions of the last news cycle, from one camp to the next. Yesterday, they were with Bush; today, they're with Kerry; tomorrow, who knows? This is why, I think, the news media concentrates on such trivial matters -- they know that trivial concerns, images, sound bites, the furrowed brow or a lifted eyebrow from Peter Jennings can sway this group of the squishy middle.

I'm convinced that the majority of people trust GW Bush. They believe him. They give him the benefit of the doubt. They want him to win. But if the White House comes out with a weak response to something, shows a hit of doubt or confusion, allows itself to get sucked into something shallow like the ANG story, the people's confidence in Bush will be shaken.

The nation cannot afford a Kerry in the White House. I fear for the nation if he, or someone of his ilk, wins. The Bush people have everything on their side -- the economy, the progress in Iraq, the steady progress in the war on terror. They should be knocking the Dems back on their heels, but they are not. This is what concerns me. It's still only February, so there is plenty of time to kick this thing in gear. I hope they start soon.

In that brief period between 1/20/01 and 9/11/01, this administration behaved much as it's doing lately. I struggle to find the right way to characterize what I see and sense, but can't articulate it well. It's almost a gauzy attempt at sweetness — aw, shucks, please like me, I'm a good guy. What in my childhood was called "hiding your light under a bushel."

I wonder if they have lost some self-confidence because the WMD have not been found. Whether or not that's the case, I wonder where this man is lately. I miss him: