The real poll

(Thanks to Instapundit)

The results of the new Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll are a major warning sign for Barack Obama and Democrats in Congress. On some key issues, the gains that Democrats had made on Republicans in the last couple of years have disappeared, and the GOP has begun to reassert itself. In other policy areas, traditional Democratic leads are diminishing.

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What I'd like to see: The Jerk Poll: which party has bigger jerks?

That's what people react to. When they see Wall Street traders pulling down hundreds of millions -- and then a worldwide financial meltdown reveals most of those jerks literally don't know what they're doing -- then the Democrats gain.

When people see arrogant Democrats passing huge spending bills and planning a huge health care bill -- and literally not knowing what's in the bills -- then the GOP gains.

That's what people react to: who's the bigger jerk.

Why Romney will never be president

His well-intentioned experiment in Massachusetts has flopped. This is too much ammo for opponents.

And, as per the NRO article, let's hope the Republicans don't get rolled in Congress.

Again.

What really needs to happen

In our editorial today, we noted a local couple who actually gave stimulus money back.

Amos and Gloria Wright sent $500 back to President Obama at the White House.

Personally, I think this is what is needed. Tea parties and so forth are interesting. But protests against spending won't have any impact until people demand the government stop spending when it benefits them or one of their causes.

So maybe we can do without some F-22s for awhile. Or Social Security raises needed to be dialed back or frozen.

I love hiking. But if the national parks need to cut back on maintenance or even close, so be it.

The Retirement Home for Widowed Mothers of American War Heroes? Put it on hold.

Let's go back to the tea parties. A lot of them are my age (58) or older. Would they be willing to deal with a freeze on Social Security cost-of-living raises? Or work longer without taking it?

When the tea parties and other protests begin having that effect, then they'll be a force to reckon with. Not before, however.

Gates brouhaha

A shocking admission for a blogger: I wasn't there so I don't know what happened.

One fact sometimes overlooked: Gates needed a cane to get out to squad car. So how dangerous can he be?

So we newspaper people like to take one incident and think we can find the meaning. That's like saying one day can tell you what the climate will be.

So what do we learn from this? Old men can be cranky, Harvard profs can be arrogant, cops can be pushy, people sometimes don't understand each other, it's not a racial paradise, no kidding.

OK, and even presidents blurt out things they later regret.

Important move by Utah senator

Sen. Hatch shows backbone:

A senior Republican senator who sits on the two Senate committees dealing with health care legislation said Wednesday that he is stepping away from the negotiating table, citing concerns about the towering cost of the plans on the table and the lack of bipartisanship

Options

A health care suggestion:

Don't increase government spending and taxes in the midst of a recession and further strangle productivity and kill jobs. Instead, develop incremental, patient-centered reforms that address fundamental problems. Help the low-income uninsured, eliminate fraud and waste in federal health programs, and empower small businesses to expand coverage.

Look on my works

Contemplating Las Vegas, thinking of "Ozymandias." tinyurl.com/VegasBust