The "wrong track" numbers lead Dems down the wrong track

Until now--as Democrats have officially entered full panic mode, evidenced by last night's hystrionics--the Kerry campaign has taken solace in the fact that polls show that slightly more than half of Americans feel the country is "on the wrong track" or "going in the wrong direction." The conventional wisdom is that an incumbent president cannot win under such circumstances.

This assumes, of course, that those polled understand the code -- that a "wrong track" answer is code for dissatisfaction with the President. However, when I ask myself the question of whether the country is on the "wrong track" or the "right track," I have to pause. Depends, I say. If I've just flipped through the cable TV channels and seen a few rap videos, reality TV shows, and gays pretending to get married, well -- hard to say the country is on the right track, from my perspective. Doesn't mean I'm not 100% behind the reelection of this president; just means I understand that a president is not a dictator or monarch. I would imagine that many social conservatives, when asked the "wrong track" question, are likely to answer "of course!"

Thoughts?