Reply #26: this is the most interesting political season since

[salin]

the summer I worked for a DC (dem) consulting firm that had several senate and house candidates and shared office space with other consultants working on other campaigns. That year the senate flipped dem and took a nice margin rather than the razor thin edge currently held. This is certainly the most interesting presidential primary season that I can remember.

In the late eighties folks kept talking about political pendulums and swings and I kept thinking... when? I didn't realize that folks were talking about much longer eras (rather than an election or two) - I think we are in the beginning of a serious pendulum swing - and have come to view this heinous bush era as the peak of the swing to the right - one striking high enough (on the extreme side) to bring enough momentum not just to swing back to the center but to carry it leftward for quite some time. Unfortunately a pendulum goes through the middle before reaching the left. I think that we will see tepid centrism for awhile until there is recognition that the public itself is pushing the political envelop further to the left. Never thought I would be writing/saying that.