Fingers crossed.

I've said for a while that a this election would be decided by a major, unforeseen, "outside" event. That is to say: it would not be the debates or a flub by a candidate - or even the major issues of the primaries. It would be something else.

Is the market mess that event? Not sure. It certainly was not unforeseen. And 5 weeks is a hell of a long time in a political race. But my gut check tells me undecideds will be moving toward the party NOT in the White House in the next few weeks and they will be hard to get back for McCain.

Despite BHO's silly initial refusal to go back to D.C. (that is to say: to SHOW UP FOR WORK, for God's sake) he has gained, and will gain the most from this crisis by virtue of one thing: he's not a Republican. I have no faith that he has the ability to handle the mess any better than McCain. In fact, his economic bonefides are exactly zilch. It doesn't matter. The GOP is on track to get clobbered by this crisis.

And if the past 10 months are an indication, BHO could drop his pants and take a dump on the White House lawn this week and the media would call it "presidential."

Oh, and this is a crisis. We are witnessing a catastrophe the likes we have not seen since at least 1929 and it may well surpass that meltdown when all is said and done. Frankly, 700 billion dollars is incomprehensible. I don't know much about macroeconomics. But I do know one thing: That 700 billion bucks does not exist. It's being conjured - or printed if you like - and the more money that gets created out of thin air the less each and every dollar you and I have is worth. Hyperinflation is the next logical stop.

What concerns me is the combination of hyperinflation and an Obama administration. Or to put a finer point on it: the combination of hyperinflation and a cult of personality in power. From the vantage point of September 24th it looks like this is exactly what we will be getting. The worst economic outlook in 70 years combined with leadership that is driven by slogans and delusional projection and all I can say is: Let's HOPE we can survive the CHANGE that is coming.

...Fingers crossed...