"I'm here to tell you that outside of FR and some of the talk shows, no one GIVES A DAMN about the ports. It ranks up there with the Winter Olympics in terms of interest."
This is not true. People in my office who never have anything to say about political stuff and who are mostly Republican have been talking and grumbling about this all week. My parents, who are in their mid-eighties and have never for a moment considered voting anything but Republican, are steamed at Pres. Bush.
I would suggest that your co-workers and parents -- bless them all -- are too ignorant about this subject to have a relevant opinion on it.
No offense intended, of course . . . I've been saying the same thing about nearly every person in media and in government who has weighed in on this issue over the last two weeks. The level of idiotic, ignorant hysteria on this topic is absolutely astonishing.
It's like the whole "air national guard" thing. That never hurt Bush, nor could it, because if the issue is national security, the Dems (and especially their leaders), regardless of what they say on this issue, are viewed as totally suspect.
So in a way the whole thing is like saying, "Don't think pink." All you do is think pink.
Because again, they don't know what the deal really is.
I would be mad too if it really is what the media is portraying, but it is not.
Unfortunately, this all comes down to the horrendous communications staff at the White House.