My hero, Paul Krugman

Gotta love the guy. The whole article could be entitled "Where Conservatives Went Wrong" but has a much more meaningful title, Desperately Seeking Seriousness.

Mr. McCain seems spectacularly unable to talk about economics as if it matters. He has attempted to pin the blame for the crisis on his pet grievance, Congressional budget earmarks — which leaves economists scratching their heads in puzzlement.

...

I suspect that the main reason for the dramatic swing in the polls is something less concrete and more meta than the fact that events have discredited free-market fundamentalism. As the economic scene has darkened, I’d argue, Americans have rediscovered the virtue of seriousness. And this has worked to Mr. Obama’s advantage, because his opponent has run a deeply unserious campaign.

I think that that is a terrific way to look at it. The majority of Americans finally realize that politics matters. Who's in office matters. What they say and do about policy matters.