Why the Poll Numbers are a'Changin' If we grant that about ten percent of Americans that actually benefit from Chimpy McFlightsuit are acting "rationally" if not selfishly, how do explain the rest of his support and even the uptick noted recently? One part of it is that during the sanctification of St. Ronny of Coco Puffs, any preznit, as symbol of country will uptick. Furthermore the loss of a major celebrity, B grade actor, hater of trees because they cause pollution, will lead others to rally around Chimpy McFlightsuit or the sham government that he represents, like buring of Reichstag, or perhaps sarin in subway four days before election. Yet what do the other forty percent who approve of the imperious incompetent get out of this? What interests are served if not economic and religious? No simple answer but for a chunk of Chimpy's support comes from the legions, he represents the last best hope for an extremist Judeo-Christian morality under siege. Support for him does more to affirm identity than lead gays to penitence, remorse and the straight life. Are you paying attention Sully? Same with sex, lots of single folks doing it, and what's more enjoying without the side cocktail of guilt. Anyone see the lastest middle school fad?, the girls wear a number of multicolor plastic bracelets, each color represents a sex act they will provide to a male who grabs one and makes claim, the colors range from a French-ooops-Freedom kiss, to group with dp, uses devices, etc. And equally popular are lipstick parties, if you don't know what they are, hint, Bill and Monica are back in the news. What is always of course interesting is not that kids are into sex, some of the readers of the Hegemon here were once kids, but that the moralist attempts to stop it not only fail, but abstinence education or the ever increasing popularity of home prisoning, oops I mean schooling seem to result in about six months delay of average age of first roll in hay, but vastly increase chance of STDS and pregnancies. And Ronald Reagan notwithstanding, Aids is quite real. Morality in general, boy they have really affected our society, listen to Enron tapes, listen to discussions like "Lets f_ _ _ Nevada over, screw those old bitties", or watch Chimpy McMoralflightsuit lie, watch Cheney lie (new children's books coming to you soon although not at any of the large chains, they would not want to lose their precious tax exempt -- oh, sorry wrong huge conglomerate with unfair tax advantages). Now of course if we are being sophisticated (and all readers of the Rising Hegemon know that we are nothing if not sophisticated), the basis of Chimpy and his follower's politics is their identity and subculture. Actual efficacy and results are not important, the forces of evil (folks like you and me) will always be there to smite. But there is hope-ironically, for a few, the same mass media that sustain Chimpy and smilin' Dick's crap is not always in their corner and there are other forces out there that can not be summed up in a simple poll. I have said the Stern factor will make the difference, but Michael Moore's Farenheit 9/11 will have some marginal impact. And now the latest news is that Madonna thinks Chimpy and Saddam are not far apart. Don't laugh too hard, infotainers like her do influence a number of voters, just as Brittany will probably vote for Chimpy and sing "I did it again" that is ACTED LIKE A BRAINLESS IDIOT! Anyhow as is evident, the main poll figure to watch now is how do you think the country is going, and sixty percent don't like it and all the Zogby, Kohut folks tell us that ever since preznit polling began, that item is more predictive that who you are voting for. Further, while folks like us read a paper or two, go on line to check alternative news, foreign news, and note little things like deployment of Iranian troops on border (fear of stuff hitting fan and flocking of immigrants), there are still many folks, like the one I noted the other day who think Saddam was not only behind 9/11, but will resume power once handed over. Lastly, as a number of folks have indicated, some of the stuff coming down will really impact some of these ideas about who to vote for, like when its revealed just who outed Plame, probably Feith or Libby, as torture is not only revealed more widespread and shown coming from top, but more and more mainline types come forward to show the corruption among the creeps. If/when Powell/Armitage go, and neo cons get get the boot, Chimpy as strong leader seems more like the Wizard of Oz. And we all know what is behind the curtain. Nothing.