Never Enough Pleasant Surprises Department

Salon has a great piece today comparing Bush's election prospects to, of all things, Jimmy Carter's. That's a sad comparison indeed, but it rings true--Bush's Presidency is so crummy that it'll be invoked every time a Republican candidate runs for President for the next decade or more, as a reminder of how wrong things can get if we elect one of them. It's no healthier for politics than the current election's prelediction for negative attack ads, really. But it will hopefully force the Republicans to reconsider the nature of their base and perhaps force it to recoup some sembalance of mainstream politics.

As I doubt most of my readership are willing to deal with so much as a Salon day pass sponsorship ad, I am quoting the end of the article, wherein the author briefly touches on Bush's "ownership society" speech, compares it to Carter's "malaise" speech, and then tells a story his father once told him:

Some time back, the great University of Texas economist Robert Montgomery was summoned before our Texas Legislature, then hunting subversives. According to legend, the hearing was the shortest on record. It consisted of a single question and answer. Not having ever seen a transcript, let me paraphrase:

Q.: Professor, do you believe in private property?

A.: Senator, I do believe in private property. I believe in it so strongly, I think everyone in Texas should have some.

HEH. Now you know why, despite efforts by extremist Republicans over the past few decades, I love my fellow Texans. You got to admire that much cheek combined with that much common sense.

Ah, but I ramble. I dare you to read the ad--if you, like me, pray that Bush get voted out of office, this article will cheer you up. Guaranteed.