It’s been a while since I’ve written a thriller, but I’ve finally been impelled to dust off the old fedora and channel my inner Phillip Marlowe (or Moses Wine) to unravel the mystery of just who are those forty percent or so who still favor Barack Obama in the polls.
With ONE (1) exception, none of the people I speak with regularly are supporters; on the contrary, the reactions I get range from dislike through fear to terror. Simon again:
With the economy and the stock market tanking faster than the 1976 Buccaneers, anarchists, thugs, and eye doctors wreaking mayhem from London to Damascus, our foreign policy, energy policy, and every other policy somewhere between non-existent and imploded, the reputation of the United States lower than Lindsay Lohan’s shoe, and the perpetually-vacationing president putting Nero to shame when it comes to fiddling, you would think Obama’s popularity would be in the low naughts.
Look, there simply are not enough residents of New York's Upper West Side or newspaper editorial writers to make up 40% of the population. You can even add all the people on welfare and you still don't get to 40%.
Simon has an answer that's as good as any (channeling one of his private eye characters):
My habit [smoking Lucky Strikes]. That was just like politics. No one ever changes. Your father tells you you’re one thing … or maybe your mother … and that’s it. You’re that way forever — a Lucky smoker, staying away from Camels no matter what. Even if Camels have no nicotine and make you live to 120. You’re still with the Luckies.
No wonder all those clowns are sticking with Obama. He’s a fellow smoker too. They’re all addicted. Addicted to something so dated they might as well be smoking Luckies — or tana leaves. They can’t kick. They’ll never kick.
It makes sense. If you are addicted, to tobacco, alcohol, other drugs ... or a political orientation ... it takes more power than many people have to kick the habit. It usually takes a life-changing event, like the doctor telling you that you have lung cancer.
I won't talk about Obama with my friend who likes him. I know it would do no good, he's hooked on what Obama has. Reality is not nearly as compelling as addiction.
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