Lack of jobs, war wither Bush's hopes - Jimmy Breslin

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http://www.newsday.com/news/columnists/ny-nybres033693731mar03,0,1224569.column

The streets of the city looked like Romania yesterday, with citizens out of their coats in the pleasant warmth, but still in their mill town sweatshirts and heavy sweaters and zipper jackets. The only suit and tie we've had in town was worn by candidate John Kerry. And the first thing he does is pull that jacket off. But his shirts look so expensive that they cannot be regarded as mere rumple.

Even if the city didn't look like it, that was an important election we had. It had to do with the presidency - but it was an election held without people. I began my election coverage yesterday in the emptiness at PS 20, the John Bowne High School, off 144th Street in Flushing. First, Jack Collins, elections inspector, told me he was getting $200 for the day. "I remember when it was $30," I said. "That's what we'd like to forget," another inspector, Fran Erigo, said.

Collins now showed me the most diverse voting machine in the world. On both sides were signs in foreign languages. The names of all the people running for convention delegates also were spelled in foreign languages over each. There appeared to be six languages.

"That's what there are, six," Collins said.

"What are the six?"

"Chinese, Korean, Spanish, English. I guess India."

"That's five."

"Then it got to be Japanese."

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