What They See Is What They Get

Well over a year ago, I recall seeing this in the NY Times (1/12/03): “The most telling polling result from the 2000 election was from a Time magazine survey that asked people if they are in the top 1% of earners. Nineteen percent of Americans say they are in the richest 1% and a further 20 percent expect to be someday.”

I was so warmed that I saved the clipping. It's always reassuring to see more evidence that more Americans aspire than envy.

Yet, we now have John Kerry and others presuming that John Edwards of "Two Americas" fame will be a ballot box asset.

Even the LA Times worries that, "The more frightening possibility ... is that Edwards does have core beliefs, and that they are reflected in his demagogic us-versus-them arias to juries during his career as a plaintiff's trial lawyer an his opposition to free trade among other issues."

The NY Times notes that, "It is likely that Mr. Edwards will be dispatched to critical industrial states .. . to talk about jobs. We hope he'll refrain from falling into protectionist rhetoric in the process. He has a habit of giving angry workers the impression that he's in favor of far more drastic action on jobs outsourcing than he has ever actually advocated." Huh?

Both papers appear not to want to believe that what they see is what they get.