Looking to November

We may catch back up on the primary noise later, but for now I wanted to call attention to this Krugman post, and what will likely be some recurring themes throughout this general election season. This graph brings to the forefront what will be two major issues in the election - the economy and the Republican party. The former's impact will be obvious, as pocketbook voting is as tangible an electoral theory as any commentator could hope for, but the reflection of the GOP on John McCain will be far more ambiguous. Despite attempts to quantify and qualify its nature now, the development of this issue will be the biggest question of the general election season. If McCain turns the election from the Democrats vs. the Republicans to McCain vs. Obama vs. The Bush Legacy, we could be in for a very strange ride.