I'm already thinking ahead to the 2008 presidential election and what I think will be its twin issues: universal health care and completely eliminating unemployment

This morning, the Airborne courier asked what was so interesting on my computer screen, and I replied that I was looking at unemployment statistics through the years. She replied matter-of-factly, "Whatever it is, it's too high." Well, I explained, current unemployment is actually below the historical average since 1980.
She retorted, "That doesn't matter, one unemployed person is too many for me!" I tried to explain that 0% unemployment will never happen, for a few reasons; it's just impossible. I said that almost all economists will confirm this, but she huffed while walking away, "I don't care what economists say, you gotta help that person on the street!"

Hers is precisely the voter mentality that the Democratic Party needs to regain the White House *and* Congress in 2008. God forbid I should unintentionally give them advice, but at the same time, the GOP must start preparing for Desperate Democrat Tactics. As I write this, it doesn't look good for Kerry. Moreover, the Democratic Party is reeling from losing more Congressional seats, and then there's Daschle. It's one thing for a party leader to resign because of poor health or a scandal, but his own constituents fired him. McAuliffe & Co. are, no doubt, analyzing where they went wrong.

If Bin Laden lies low for four years and Iraq has sufficiently stabilized, terrorism will evaporate from voters' memories. A dovish "Bring the troops home" Democrat, not making Dean's mistakes, might have a good chance at winning the White House by demanding the federal government finally assume "responsibility" for universal health care and finding jobs for the unemployed. "No more tax cuts for the wealthy" will be a support issue, but not top. It won't matter if we're (unsustainably) booming at 4% unemployment in 2007; I have a feeling the Democrats will insist, like Kevin Kline's "Dave" character, that the federal government should find or create "a job for anyone who wants one." Couple this with the bleeding-heart view that it's time the U.S. became a Euro-style welfare state, and how Big Media portrays unemployment, poverty and individual income as worse than they actually are. It scares me that enough American voters might believe this bunk.

These two issues are right up Hillary's alley. Four years from now will be her last chance, before she's deemed too old to be viable.

Perry Eidelbus