The Liberal Surge was actually a High Water Mark

Just one year ago, the chattering-battering class was thumping its thin little chest and whooping it up for the new liberal takeover of the world.

Well, how do you like us, now? Germany has selected a surprisingly conservative government. Chile appears to be well on its way to electing a VERY conservative fellow (though with some social liberal stands, bless his heart!)

Fact is, Obamamania was not the return of the left to American, or world, politics. It was the reaction against an unresponsive and tin-eared militarist and corporatist regime called Bush.

Obama even won a Nobel Prize for not being Bush 43. Although Bush 41 could easily have given the same speech that Obama gave when Obama got the Nobel for not being Bush 43. Obama may be trying to centerize himself, in spite of his instincts for lunacy, and his surprising inability to understand even basic economics.

But the deficit, the mishandling of TARP, and unbelievable mishandling of health care by the left (again) have all combined to make the alternatives look pretty strong.

I still wonder if the Republicans aren't going to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory, by "New York 23rding" themselves into irrelevance.

Many voters seem to prefer to vote for a loser they really like, rather than reduce the majority Nancy P and Harry R need to do their dirty work. And so the dirty work will go on.

My own view is that if you are going to do a protest vote, then do the principled thing. Don't go halfway, and vote for a RINO. Vote Libertarian!