polls - how could they be so wrong?

Pundits are busy wrangling over how the pollsters got it wrong. All sorts of rationales are proposed, including the gender card and the race card. The whole discussion misses the point - voters are actually fine waiting for the count to be completed.

Only the media muppets want - NEED - to see who's going to win ahead of time. The rest of us, while curious, CAN wait.

NH after all is a state where ballots are secret. And, sentiments and thought processes are secret. Stop already with the claptrap about New Hampshirites being "famously independent". The rest of us are mindless sheep?

In their haste to be in front, our media mavens desparately try to divine the innermost musings of thoughtful, engaged Americans. They lean heavily on polls - "scientific", mind you - to get the answer before there is an answer. Enough already.

The race for the White House is fascinating, not because it's outcome can be predicted by calling a few hundred people on the phone. It's fascinating because our democracy, when it works as intended, places the fate of hopefuls in the hands of every individual in our land.

Get over it, Chris and George and Charlie and .... enjoy the ride with the rest of us who know that, with many options and great issues before us, the choice may be made at the final moment when our voting hand exercises its awesome right.

presidential power and the candidates

The Boston Globe recently submitted questions to the candidates to elicit their views on presidential power. It is worth reading not only for insight into each candidate's professed views on issues like habeus corpus and signing statements. The lack of response by several is also instructive, as is the generalized response that seems too careful or perhaps evasive.

The current administration has attempted expanded powers based on a war powers view that is unprecendented. Whether or not you agree with Bush policies, his administration's actions pose a threat to basic separation of powers that should be alarming. Specific actions - like more than 750 signing statements - pose particular problems for our form of government.

A president takes an oath to preserve protect and defend the Constitution of the US - and the oath was set out by the framers. Executive action contrary to that oath poses a threat to the founders intent and is a violation of that oath.

Now would be a good time for all of us to read the Constitution so we can make an informed judgment.