There is something about Wednesday that brings out the extreme pessimist in me. Perhaps because I was born on that day of the week and remember my mother always reciting that nursary ryhme about "Wednesday's child is full of woe."

Anyway, it hit me this morning as I was taking the subway to work and glancing at headlines of New York's various papers that G.W. is going to be re-elected (or elected for the first time, depending on how you feel about the 2000 results). For a short time after the Democratic convention I was beginning to have some hope, but now it seems that Kerry/Edwards have disappeared from the radar completely. Except of course for knowing that Kerry didn't really serve in Vietnam, while the President was running bombing missions over Hanoi (or something like that!). I get confused.

Unless there is a real turnaround, and I can't see much chance of that, since everything so far (bad economy, the jobless figures, increases in poverty, the death of over to a thousand service people in Iraq & Afghanistan) seems not to have dimmed the luster on G.W.

Maybe I'll feel better when election day is closer, but I visualize myself going into the voting booth (if we are still allowed to vote come Nov.) and pulling the lever on a machine which may or may not work. Then going home, not watching television or listening to radio. The headlines will reveal it all the next day.

Hunker down for four more years and get ready to pack a bag for those camps, brothers & sisters!