Poorer, but wiser -- maybe.

"We aren't going to see this economy turn around until the election is over and somebody new is in there." This from a two-time Bush voter who believes Democrats want to eliminate the military and make pacifism the guiding principle of American foreign policy. And no, that isn't an exaggeration of this person's attitude.

It's difficult to get across the change that's come over the less committed wingnuts recently. A couple of months ago they were simply demoralized by the thought that the horrible "Democrat Party" would win the election; I'm sensing now that now they aren't interested in the rah rah side of electioneering any longer, but rather, are dismayed at the direction the economy is moving in and want someone -- anyone -- to make the pain stop. They've been slapped in the face -- hard -- by the horned hand of economic reality, and they are groggily coming to their senses.

Watching this, I'm becoming -- very -- cautiously optimistic that the insanity that has gripped our national discourse since 1992 will abate, that people who used to believe things that were absurd on their face because it was entertaining will permanently realize that some forms of entertainment come at too high a price,and they don't want to pay it any more. It's fun to grin along with the notion of Al Gore claiming he invented the internet, but not so fun to live for eight years under the "leadership" of a bumbling incompetent, fun to laugh along with Rush and the gang at other people, not so fun to realize the joke was on you all along, but you just didn't get it. I suppose the old adage about being "poorer but wiser" applies here; unfortunately their lack of wisdom has made a whole lot of us poorer, and some of us have lost a lot more than money.