In the special election for the House seat in New York's 26th district Tuesday, the only real issue was Rep. Paul's voucher plan for Medicare. In a district with a whopping 27,000 voter Republican plurality, a little known Democrat won rather handily. The seemingly very credible Republican candidate initially agreed she supported Paul's legislation but then just couldn't shake off the Medicare noose around her neck. Of course the drastic cuts in social welfare programming and aid to the poor in Paul's proposal didn't help the Republican either. Being a wealthy businesswoman herself she didn't have much of a comeback to "deprive the needy of help while extending tax cuts and loopholes to the rich."

Of course the 2012 candidates will do anything not to get pinned down as favoring reductions in entitlement programs. And in the end I think Obama will be reelected and the Democrats will regain some strength because they will defend entitlements more completely, despite the deficit. Unfortunately, the deficit is nowhere near as real to millions of voters as their job and benefits, and to them not the main reason why and how they vote.