The Tao of DOW Watching

As the stock market woes dominate television and computer screens today, one big casualty is the McCain campaign's new and improved attack dog strategy. Why? Two reasons. First, the oxygen used to talk about the regurgitated stories of William Ayers and, yes, Jeremiah Wright, is now being sucked up by fears about what lies ahead for our country and the world. Second, the news that the DOW has sunk below 10,000, and that 401K plans are withering on the vine, keeps the spotlight on matters economic, and that's what has driven McCain's numbers in the tank in the first place. In other words, diversion mission not accomplished. It's still the economy, stupid!

And, as one of McCain's strategists told the NY Daily News today, "If we keep talking about the economic crisis, we're going to lose."