Answer to Question 1: Why elect Bush?

OK, although it is virtually indisputable that we are worse off now, certainly economically, than we were four years ago, polls show almost half of all voting Americans are willing to rehire this guy for another four years. WHY? Answer: ignorance. Most people make little effort to aquire a broad base of information relative to social and political issues. We rely on our mass media to do that for us. The problem is, they are for profit companies who, like all others, are primarily about their own viability. Their product is structured around what will sell to viewers. Emotion and easily blurbable things like John Dean's Iowan undoing speech are repeated endlessly. However, to fully explain to the American people the connection between defense spending and recession takes time, it's involved, it's boring for most people.
I've spent much time trying to explain some of the concepts that do not seem to easily resonate with so many Americans. In the personal lives of most people, strength and aggression are respected. They quickly extrapolate this to the world political stage, figuring the stronger the stance, the safer they sleep. It takes a lot of education to lead people through to the understanding that violence cycles are long lasting and far reaching, particularly when emanating from a feared and distrusted superpower. I learned some of these lessons travelling through Europe in the early 80's, really listening to the European point of view, and on the World Peace March, where we stopped in to speak at town meetings each night along the way across the country. I remember trying to help people understand how many nuclear weapons we were making each day, and their cost. Now we can communicate more easily over the internet, possibly reach more people. We can add ideas and educate each other. So, let's continue to find creative ways to let folks know about the costs of war, the costs of ignoring the needs of the middle class.