It Makes a Difference to the Sheep

THE DEAD HAND OF HISTORY: The Kerry Campaign has frequently mentioned the fact that the economy under the Bush Administration has been the worst since Herbert Hoover. There's a problem to this characterization though, as Oscar Chamberlain explains:

An article on the CBS news website finds that John Kerry’s attempts to link G.W. Bush with Herbert Hoover are floundering because most people don’t know who Hoover was. Likewise, the Bush campaigning is discovering that for most people “Hanoi Jane” Fonda is just another semi-retired actress; so unless they can prove an affair, their attempts to link her with Kerry will also come up lame.

I suppose this is another example of American historical amnesia, and thus a Bad Thing. On the bright side, think of it this way. Neither of these comparisons is useful in understanding the candidates, their actions, or their ability to lead. So we can be pleased that the misuse of history has been defeated by the ignorance of history.

One doesn't know whether to laugh or to cry.