The groaning, shaking, twisting tremors creeping across this nation is not the "Big One" we have been hearing about for decades; it is not an earthquake. It is not a volcano about to erupt. But again, maybe it is. It is the mumbling, grumbling, "Quiet riot" of millions of middle class Americans, the raspy to roaring gutturals of home-grown and immigrant poor people in this Country, whose combined crescendo will resound, finally, on November 4, 2008 with the election of a new president.

Whether it be Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama or John McCain will depend on which of those is most convincing that they understand, "It's the economy, stupid!"

It is not the economy discussed by the media, the academicians, the Beltway protagonists and the elitist financial wizards; it is the economy of the working person, the families, the once-homeowners, the unemployed high school graduates and the underemployed college graduates. The people who wince at $4.00 a gallon gas, double-digit percentage price increases for food, healthcare, entertainment and clothing; people who have to stretch their dollars so thin there is no longer money left over for savings, a home purchase, a vehicle upgrade or a vacation trip. Some of these people are losing their jobs, caught up in down-sizing, cost-cutting, outsourcing or "market shifts."

Elections are won by a coalition of interest groups (most voters are in one or more of these groups): those strongly against the war; those most concerned with healthcare; those who emphasize social programs; those whose religion dictates their votes; those who support less government; those who feel immigration is out of control; those who crave more security; those who harbor ill feelings toward the existing government and want change; however, there is no greater unifying force than the aggregate of those who have been "hit in the pocketbook."

The groundswell of a failing economy may appear like a tsunami come November and the politicians at the National, State and local levels will be swept to safety or drowned depending on how they deal with it. "It's the economy, stupid!"

Learn more about this author, Tom Walsh.
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