I Can’t Recall The Last Time I Saw A Cigarette In An Ashtray

I was taking a walk a few days ago when I encountered  a cigarette in an ashtray.

This is something I used to see all the time.

But I as I looked at the ashtray you see in the picture I took above, I could not recall when I had last seen a cigarette in an ashtray.

I guess that is for the good.

Who misses scenes such as the one you see below? (Photo taken by Stefan-XP)

It Is About Who Votes

I don’t like to talk about polls, but I will do so in this case.

The latest NBC/Wall Street Journal poll points to Republican gains next month.

As things stand now, Republicans are more inclined to go to the polls. It is the people who vote who will decide what happens.

However, there is also this in the poll—

President Barack Obama’s numbers have improved slightly. His job-approval rating among registered voters stands at 47 percent, up one point from last month and three points from August….that rating is better than George W. Bush’s 38 percent in October 2006 (before Republicans lost control of Congress) and Bill Clinton’s 46 percent in October 1994 (before Democrats lost power).

There is also this-—

“In the survey, 50 percent of likely voters say they prefer a Republican-controlled Congress, versus 43 percent who want Democrats in charge. Last month, Republicans held a 46 percent to 43 percent advantage among likely voters on this question. The GOP’s current seven-point lead, McInturff observes, is on pace — historically — to result in a shift of power in Congress. “The Democrats, with two weeks left, are facing very, very difficult arithmetic.” Yet among the wider universe of registered voters, Democrats hold a two-point edge, 46 to 44 percent, which is up from the 44 percent to 44 percent tie in September.”

I’m not trying to paint a phony picture of what is going to happen in the upcoming election. I expect Republican gains.

I’ll just say that for all the alleged anger and for as bad as the economy has been since Mr Obama took office, many folks continue to support Democrats.

As rough as the next two weeks may be—though there is still plenty to be hopeful about—2012 will be hard-fought election with a wider turnout. There is no reason to despair.

Or maybe what I should say is that there is no reason to despair except for the people who vote Democratic who are instead not voting.