This Is Your Fault, Voters
Nate Silver runs some numbers and finds that 30 of 38 congressmembers in tight reelection races voted NAY on the bailout. Stupid voters, always wanting to doom the economy! And stupid congressmembers, always wanting to get reelected! "By comparison, the vote among congressmen who don't have as much to worry about was essentially even: 197 for, 198 against." AND: "among 26 congressmen NOT running for re-election (almost all of whom are Republicans), 23 voted in favor of the bill, as opposed to 2 against and one abstaining." [538]