Fear isn't working!

Whoops! Karl Rove's Ultimate Weapon is ceasing to function! What will the Rovester do??

A new study reveals a surprising twist on the conventional wisdom about November's presidential election: While political pundits seem to agree that news of terrorist threats and other dangers from abroad is good news for President Bush's re-election bid, the opposite might be true.

Michigan State University political science professors Darren W. Davis and Brian D. Silver say their study found that the more worried people are about the possibility of another terrorist attack, the more likely they are to vote for John Kerry. The research will be presented at a meeting of political scientists in Chicago next month.

Right after 9/11, a lot of frightened Americans rushed to put an Invincible Hero Halo on Bush. I was beginning to fear that they would never notice the emperor's essential nakedness; this study restores my faith in our native pragmatism.