I looked at that PDF carefully a couple of days ago. You left out by far the most important aspect: we're morons if we don't put more emphasis on the economy.

It indicates the economy is at its highest point of significance all year, with 23% identifying the economy as the most important issue to determine their vote for congress. The gap between the economy and Iraq is now 9% (23-14), previously not greater than 3%. The economy has been listed as the top issue in the FOX polling all year, but it was never higher than 20% until the August survey.

For some reason there is no party breakdown in the PDF, but the article (http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,2115 61,00.html) indicates, " For Democrats, the top issues are the economy (26 percent) and Iraq (17 percent). Republicans pick terrorism (22 percent) and the economy (19 percent), with only a few citing Iraq as the main issue deciding their vote (7 percent)."

And here's something I've taken note of this year. When surveys ask questions like, "What issue is most important for politicians to concentrate on right now?" or "What do you think is the most important problem facing this country today?," the top two are generally Iraq and terrorism, with the economy or economy/jobs in third. However, if you ask it differently and more relevant to November, like "What will be the single most important issue in your vote for Congress this year....," the order switches and the economy is much higher, often on top, like in the FOX poll.

I guess we'd prefer to use subjective judgment instead of what the voters are telling us. Then we'll look back and wonder why the gains weren't as high as anticipated.

Also, the same poll has this overlooked nugget: a significant majority of respondents in all three categories -- Democrats, Republicans, Independents -- list "Problems in the United States" as "more important in deciding your vote for Congress this fall," as opposed to "Problems around the World." In fact, the numbers barely shift based on partisanship. Democrats prioritize problems in the United States 65-19, for Republicans it's 60-19, and most dramatic of all for Independents at 68-11.

What's wrong with holding Bush accountable for the economy? Yet in reviewing the commericals here and elsewhere, I'm not sure I've heard the word economy a single time from a Democratic candidate.

I guess screaming about Iraq makes us feel tougher and meaner, more like Republicans. Meanwhile, our fate is determined by women and studies always indicate women are much more concerned than men with issues like health care, economy and jobs, and education. Bundle those together and they far exceed concern about Iraq. But is that how we're playing it? Not from what I can sense. The unmarried women stopped showing up at the polls after '92, declining every cycle for a decade, when they decided their issues weren't being addressed.  And every recent poll I've seen indicates women have a much lower opinion of the economy than men, in fact more than 10 points lower in a Los Angeles Times poll from June.

I'm not saying de-emphasize Iraq. But put some focus on the damn economy.

The CA-50 study from MyDD indicated Francine Busby failed in the special election largely because independents didn't turn out, in fact "independents barely showed up at all." In a Newsweek poll from August 10-11, which was the exact point of the London revelations and should have provided terrorism and probably Iraq with their highest numbers, independents chose the economy as the top vote-determining priority at 22%, with Iraq next at 19% and terrorism well back at 12%.

If independents think the economy is the most important issue yet we don't talk about the economy, how can we complain if independents again fail to show up and vote for the Democrat in November?

All of these things are tightly interconnected. If we leave Iraq, the price of oil might jump to $50 a barrel. If we stay, It'll cost about $100,000,000,000 dollars a year. Plus, every nation on the planet is grasping for nuclear bombs. Plus, we are running out of fresh water. Plus, the whole world is using much more coal, belching out more sulfur and mercury. Plus, the fish are all disappearing. Plus, all our industries are belong to China now. Plus, etc., etc., etc.

Look. Nobody gives a damn about real terrorists. They could only take out a block or so at a time. THEY ARE MERELY METAPHORIC BOGEYMEN FOR THE EDGE OF THE CLIFF THAT IS FAST APPROACHING.