I've been interviewing 'the guy on the street'..

[jbm]

in my own totally independent little way,and this week I've gotten the same reaction from several people,but I'm not sure what conclusions I should draw from it(ok..I know we can't REALLY draw any conclusions from my own little sampling..but you know what I mean).

My job is pretty social,so I've been nonchalantly asking people this week if they think Bush can win,and the answer I keep getting back is a very definite,"NO WAY"!! I've engaged in very tame political discussions with most of these people before,and while some vote dem and some vote repub,most probably couldn't name a single dem candidate or name the vice president,so I was amazed at the strength of their reaction. I'm thinking this means one of two things..either Bush has lost more support then we realize and he's going to lose big time,OR if he does win,a lot of Americans are going to be confused and disillusioned and maybe start paying a little more attention to their country.

Believe it or not,when I asked why they were so sure he couldn't win again,the vast majority mentioned Haliburton. They didn't seem to know much about Haliburton,but it seems they've associated the fact that the price of gas increased at the pumps,to the bits of news and office gossip they've picked up about Haliburtons overcharges. I don't know that there is any direct connection between Haliburtons antics and the price of gas,but wouldn't it be ironic if Bush lost over a misconception rather then all of the zillions of things he really did? (Not that I don't think the Haliburton stuff is horrid,I'm just not sure if it's directly correlated to the gas increases we're experiencing right now).

Anyway,anyone want to venture a guess on whether this means anything?

[Rick Myers]

1. I sure hope you're right!!!

I mean, CORRECT!!!

I feel the same vibe... But after the Reagan victory in 80 right up till 88 I NEVER met a person that ADMITTED voting for him.

I MUST hope that Common Sense will prevail, that the Electorate is as smart as I hope and we can SAVE this Nation. Whoever steps up next will be faced with some daunting tasks!!!

Yesterday I heard that Haliburton/Brown & Root etc. had made overtures to getting into the geology and construction side of the new Moonbase Dubya plan... It would not have registered, but it came from a contract employee at a NASA facility!!!

[bringiton]

2. It's quiet where I work

I live in Texas, and I don't dare talk politics here. I cant get a good barometer of what will happen nationally. I have a hard time believing that those who voted for Gore in 2000 would vote for Bush in 2004. Would 9/11 cause a substantial amount of a shift ? All I can tell you is count Texas in the shrub column. If I was a Democratic candidate, I wouldn't waste my time here.

I am convinced that if the polls evenly spread the sample around the country, bush will look favorable. In general the majority of the Democratic vote is concentrated in the urban areas. I am seeing sample sizes of 1000 to 2000 and I am very skeptical.

[Jazzgirl]

4. Welcome to DU!

I feel your pain bringiton. I live in Texas too and its hard to talk politics here with a lot of people. One of my co-workers and I get into a big argument whenever we talk politics since he's a dedicated repuke. :puke:

I agree with you on Texas being in the shrub column. It's sad because after what he did to Texas as governator (we're seeing that and more now) he didn't do it any favors.

Jazzgirl

[Cat Atomic]

3. I get the same sorts of responses from the people I chat with.

They seem to range from vague disappointment on the right, to downright revulsion on the left. Actually, for the last 2 weeks or so, the Republicans are even more pissed at him than the average Democrat.

I really doubt the approval numbers that we keep hearing on TV.

[BeFree]

5. Halliburton, you say?

Hmmm... that reminds me of a pug who bitched about Halliburton to me one day. I was quite surprised. But being that Halliburton is the top dog in oil and gas facilities, and all that, maybe it shouldn't be such a shock to hear that the dumbass pugs hold Cheney's main employer responsible for gas prices. Maybe, using the oft-convoluted math that pugs are infamous for, the circle of BFEE will come around to bite them in the ass?

Works for me.... Spread it far and wide.

Halliburton is to blame for the sky-rocketing gas prices!