"The ****** Factor...."

Nobody ever talks about it.

None of the experts, commentators, reporters, pundits, prognosticators or other analysts who offer up their take on what will, or wont, determine the outcome of elections ever address it or include it when they share their two cents.

It is “the factor” that goes unspoken.

We hear about the experience factor.

And the age factor.

The male, female, liberal and conservative factors.

The blue-collar, white collar, homeland security, economy and working class family factors.

Not to mention the Hillary factor.

And, for the first time in our history, we even hear no holds barred discussion of the race factor.

But, there remains one factor that goes unmentioned even though it will very likely have more impact on the outcome of this, or any, election than any other.

It reared its head most prominently this past week at a McCain rally.

A woman looked John McCain in the eye and said that she “couldn’t trust Obama…I’ve read about him…and he’s an Arab…”

Take a look at the video above.

It’s been observed, on numerous occasions, that one downside of freedom is that, by its nature, it cant be limited to only those who are intelligent enough to use it wisely.

That’s why the emergency rooms are filled with drunks with one less finger, give or take, every Fourth of July evening.

And that same freedom that gets doled out regardless of race, creed, color, religious affiliation or sexual preference allows anyone with a social security card and proof of voter registration access to the booth, to pull the lever for the candidate of their choice.

The woman in the video is a moron.

My elementary school age grandkids could see that from the cheap seats.

But the woman in the video is not an aberration.

There are a lot of people in this country who jump into lakes without bothering to see how deep the water is, scloff down a six pack or two of Bud before going out in the backyard to light up the cherry bombs on July 4 and who put on their makeup and/or text their homies while operating a motor vehicle at sixty miles an hour on the same highway as you and me and our respective loved ones.

Who think that Obama is an Arab.

Or John McCain is a doddering old man.

Or Sarah Palin is a moose shooting debutante.

Or Joe Biden is a hair plugged, snake oil salesman.

And who are entitled by law and birthright to walk into the booth on Election Day and pull the lever.

I don’t overly concern myself with the experience factor or the age factor.

Or even the race factor.

But, in the still of the night, when I allow myself to let a little fear of the future creep in, it’s a sure bet that I take the unspoken factor into account.

The stupid factor.