more people believe the economic realities of life have changed forever

What's going on in Obama's home town. Cutting back. Chicago Sun Times:

Three and a half years after the Great Recession began and in the middle of a tumultuous summer as Congress haggled over the nation’s debt crisis and the economy continued to crawl, consumer confidence plunged in August to its lowest level since April 2009. And while personal spending was up, the data show much of the increase went to pay for higher-priced gas and food.

The price of gasoline is up 35 percent — about a dollar a gallon — from a year ago.

Poll shows youth vote crumbling for Obama. Bill Kristol:

“Young voters broke overwhelmingly for Obama in 2008, but just 47 percent of those under age 30 now approve of the way he is doing his job; just as many disapprove.” I for one always had faith that our young people could learn as they grew up, and so they are. Obama won the 18-29 vote by 2 to 1; the move away from Obama among the young is more dramatic than among the population as a whole. Given all the hype about 2008, it would be ironic if the generationally formative election of the new century turned out to be 2012.

RCP here.

The populist appeal of Palin to Americans in this unsettled era can not be underestimated. She's a millennial mom and gets it, as a visionary former governor who set aside a rainy day fund in good times--we're at a tipping point.

More. Palin takes on the Jimmy Hoffa attack. Welcome union brothers and sisters:

This collusion is at the heart of Obama’s economic vision for America. In practice it is socialism for the very rich and the very poor, but a brutal form of capitalism for the rest of us. It is socialism for the very poor who are reduced to a degrading perpetual dependence on a near-bankrupt centralized government to provide their every need, while at the same time robbing them of that which brings fulfillment and success – the life-affirming pride that comes from taking responsibility for your own destiny and building a better life through self-initiative and work ethic. And Obama’s vision is socialism via crony capitalism for the very rich who continue to get bailouts, debt-ridden “stimulus” funds, and special favors that allow them to waive off or help draft the burdensome regulations that act as a boot on the neck to small business owners who don’t have the same friends in high places. And where does this collusion leave working class Americans and the small business owners who create 70% of the jobs in this country? Out in the cold. It’s you and your children who are left paying for the cronyism of Obama and our permanent political class in DC.

An appeal to hard-working Americans. As opposed to UNION BOSS Jimmy Hoffa:

No wonder Hoffa's declared war against the Tea Party Sons-of-Bitches. He's got a lot at stake with the old regime. Via Teamsters for a Democratic Union last year.

James Hoffa—Total Compensation $362,869, including a lucrative “Housing Allowance” he set up for himself. Instead of freezing his salary or taking a 10 percent cut, he took a Cost of Living Raise.

I am hopeful she can turn the tide.

I too served in public office in a state that had a corruption problem. The difference is that I fought the corrupt political machine. Barack Obama used the machine in his state to advance. He never challenged it. And he’s evidently brought the same Chicago “pay-to-play” practices to the White House.

Sarah Palin, fighting for us.

More. Newsalert: How The Chicago Mob Hijacked Chicago's Political System

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