Reagan did win with optimism. Carter was on TV, wearing a sweater in the WH, thermostat set at 68 degrees in the winter, telling us all that our best days were behind us. I didn't vote for Reagan, but I didn't vote for Carter either.
Obama isn't doing that. If the (R) candidate does, he won't be elected.
That said, I DO think our high point was reached in the late 1960's. We'd come out of WWII with the only intact industrial base, and sold our shit to the entire world, desperate for goods to get back on their feet. WE became fat, lazy and happy.
Now, the rest of the world has caught up, and some are moving beyond us. Their populations are looking at rising standards of living, and are EAGER to grab cars, computers and TV's, things we already have. We're looking at flat to declining wages, for those that can get a job. Mirror image perspectives. |
