It seems like the Republican darling candidates are toppling left and right these last few weeks.
Herman Cain has his sexual harassment scandal, which coupled with his general bumbling Cain-ness — referring to himself in the third person, quoting the Pokémon theme song, singing during a press conference — has fallen out of favor.
Rick Perry has his now infamous “I forgot the third one” moment, and Michelle Bachman has been invisible for almost a month.
This self-generated (for the most part) devastation of the Republican field has brought Obama back to leading a generic Republican candidate by a point, according to a Gallup poll.
This is a shift from the last few months when no specific GOP candidate had the backing to defeat Obama, but a “generic” candidate would have won by a margin of 7 percent in September.
Perhaps this is just another ripple in the tide of public opinion, which in recent weeks has seemed to shift back to the left.
The victory for women in Mississippi, the ousting of Russell Pearce here in Arizona and the election of Democratic governors and leaders all across the country have led to a perceived shift of public opinion.
Perhaps it has to do with Occupy Wall Street. Though many, including this columnist, feel the movement is directionless and has dragged on for long enough, the sentiments expressed by the demonstrators are felt by millions across the country.
Another Gallup poll said jobs, the economy and dissatisfaction with the government are the top three things Americans are concerned about. Clearly, the Occupy message is resonating with people.
I am hesitant to get my hopes up about a swing of the pendulum back to the left, because, as we saw in 2008, a swing to the left can last for as little as a year.
It's tempting, though, to think that the country is beginning to see sense. The media has been less hesitant to claim a victory for the left, and after these off-season elections were over, there was a significant amount of hullabaloo about a loss for the right.
But isn't that part of the problem? The country is swinging right. Then left. Then right, and now, back to the left again. All this occurred in the last decade.
Should we maybe consider stopping in the middle for a while?
If the government might allow compromise and encourage intelligent debate, rather than the mindless hollering and stubborn resolve, we might come back from the economic brink we are approaching.
Reach the columnist at oonagh.mcquarrie@asu.edu
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