While a group of civic-minded 8th graders mulled over and offered up candidate selections for president in 1976, I believe it was Mike Zappitello who threw out the name of a little known governor who fashioned himself a true Washington outsider. The acrimony heaped upon poor Mike for such a prediction, combined with the deafening outpouring of "who the heck is he?" caused St. Francis Cabrini librarian Miss Fedor to kick us all out of the library for a week.

Eight months later this novelty defeated sitting president Gerald Ford and Jimmy Carter became our nation's 39th president. To this day Mike Zappitello strolls the streets of Conneaut, Ohio, and fashions himself the Karl Rove of Northeast Ohio politics. It was admittedly a long shot prediction at the time; however there remain many of us who believe Mike had unnamed sources such as 8th grade insider "Fats" Roach or Mike's own father, "Black" Mike.

However he came about with his prediction, if any of us bothered to look at the perfect storm gathering at the time it may not have seemed such a stretch. President Ford and the Republican Party carried the burden of the hangover that was Watergate. An unpopular war in Southeast Asia was barely in our rearview mirror. The economy was showing signs of slowing. Incidentally, Democrats controlled both branches of congress.

Fast forward 32 years and its dejà vu all over again. We have elected another novelty as our 44th president. The House and Senate will be controlled by Democrats, as has been the case for the past two years. There is a war going on and while not as unpopular as was the case in Viet Nam, it is still on the minds of many Americans. So how'd that Carter presidency work out? Historians rank Mr. Carter's presidency near the bottom.

So how does the novelty that is Barack Obama compare to that of the late '70s. The answer is spot on. While Mr. Obama is farther to the left, both share a world utopian view that has no basis within the framework of our constitution or foundation in American ideals. Their shared views of political progressivism are grounded in changing and overhauling a form of government that has proven to be a masterpiece. So where does that leave us? To the 65 million constituents who felt so compelled to vote for "change" (has there ever been an emptier campaign moniker?), let the following be offered as to where this leaves us. Less Republican filibusters, Mr. Obama's agenda should have few obstacles. So we should all be better off with regard to jobs, inflation, energy costs, national security, taxes (less that evil 5 percent who need to be punished for their success), correct? Let's play a little game. Take this election overview and place it in your time capsule to be opened in two years and again in four years.

My money, what's left of it, is on us being better off in 0 for 5 of the above mentioned categories.

THOMAS DENNISON lives in Attleboro