My guess would be the economy. Right or wrong, the sitting President gets the blame (or credit) for the way things are going in general. And, in general, we're in deep doodoo.

Maybe some people were slow to notice, but it doesn't seem new since the last poll.

We'll see how much credit and blame that Obama gets generally. I think you all promised me in the Hurricane Katrina thread that everything would be sunshine and kittens if we elected a Democrat, and I'm totally expecting you all to deliver.

(Really, I think it's going to break down credit to Obama, blame to Bush pretty much through Obama's first term, no matter what or whose policies were actually responsible, but it doesn't bother me that much.)

Perhaps my perception is altered because of my location, but people are starting to really panic about the economy around here. Yes, it was bad before, yes, our retirement funds were starting to tank, but every single day the news gets worse and worse. The possibility of GM going under is terrifying to us. I heard a stat today that if GM goes under, that will mean 2.5 million jobs will be lost around the country (and not just in the auto-industry). The statistic commonly tossed around in Michigan is that for every GM job lost in Michigan, 10 other people lose their jobs as a trickle down (restaurant workers, retail, etc). So yeah, the last week has been pretty horrific for a lot of us.

What do you think it would take to keep GM in business long term?

It's just really hard for me to imagine GM hanging in there, delivering pay and benefits at the level unions require and staying profitable. But I completely admit, I've not studied the issue at all.

Currently, people wanting to buy cars are having a very difficult time doing so because of the credit market crisis, so that's a big part of the problem. They obviously need to re-tool. The sudden shifts in gas prices wreak havoc on them. People were buying gas hog SUVs like crazy and then BAM, gas prices skyrocket and people stop buying those and want smaller cars. It takes a long time to re-tool to make different vehicles at the plants where they've been making the gas guzzling trucks and SUVs. They have a lot of technology in development for alternative fuel sources. There was a $25 billion package for the auto companies to start re-tooling their factories for alternative fuel/better gas mileage cars but the money has yet to get to them. The unions are going to have make some concessions, I agree and that may not happen unless GM files chapter 11. Ford managed to sell off a lot of extra property that they had to help ease their cash flow issues but GM hasn't done that yet. The Ford plants around here all suddenly are surrounded by stores because Ford had a lot of a acreage around their plants. They've ridden it out during past recessions and made it and I think they can do it again. I read an article about how Cerberus (the company that now owns Chrysler) bought a controlling share of GMAC (the main loan/financing company for GM) and then made it very difficult to get GMAC loans. I think with a temporary loan for cash flow, they can stay alive, but rumors here are that they will be out of cash by the end of December.

Are you also going to ask DGTess to remove her signature? And do you go door to door asking people to take down McCain signs?

One of the interesting things about Watergate is it's caused people to forget just how brilliant Nixon was in his foreign policy. His paranoia just became his downfall.