One of the themes that was mentioned several times on the radio discussion program this afternoon was how polarized America was and how there was this enormous chasm between the right and the left, between Republicans and Democrats, between red-staters and blue-staters, and so on. I don't buy it; I think despite leftist agitation (and a little bit of right-wing agitation too, but not as much, or at least not so blatantly false and hypocritical) the country is more or less solid. We're not anywhere near civil war, let's just put it that way.

Here are some results from the latest CNN / USA Today / Gallup poll, not notoriously a front for the Lyndon LaRouchies and David Dukes out there. They polled about 1000 adult Americans with a margin of error of plus-minus three percent.

Fifty-one percent of respondents said Bush's policies will move the country in the right direction.

Fifty-two percent said he will be an outstanding or above average president in his second term...

Seventy-three percent of respondents said Bush would improve security, 68 percent said he will keep the country safe from terrorism and 62 percent said he will keep the United States prosperous.

In his next four years, 58 percent said Bush would improve education and 57 percent say he will improve moral values.

Fifty-three percent said they believe the country will be better off in four years than it is now...56 percent see him as a strong leader who is honest and trustworthy.

Fifty-six percent say they have confidence he will use military force wisely...(T)he number of Americans who have confidence in his ability to handle an international crisis (was) 64 percent.