Dems are snatching defeat from the jaws of victory by spurning populist rage instead of embracing it

17% of the American workforce is either unemployed or underemployed. More than seven million people have lost their jobs since this recession began, in an economy that needs to add more than 100,000 jobs per month just to keep up with population growth. This situation affects not only those who are looking for work and cannot find it, it also creates an atmosphere of fear among those who still have jobs, as they know that should they displease their employers in any way, they could be next. A pervasive culture of fear and uncertainty is emerging in America today, and it is quite likely that the Republican Party will be most successful in harnessing that fear and turning it into anger towards its political enemies and will dominate the 2010 election.