Here’s an interesting stat, especially if you feel (as Josh Marshall and R.W. Apple do) that this election will come down to turnout and the enthusiasm surrounding the get out the vote efforts.

- 37% of those who support Kerry say this is the most important election of their lifetimes.

- 27% of those who support Bush say this is the most important election of their lifetimes.

Right on schedule, our level of political discourse (and the coverage of that discourse) has completely bottomed out.

David Brooks continues to, well, completely spaz out. This time it’s in response to the Osama tape:

“One of the crucial issues of this election is, Which candidate fundamentally gets the evil represented by this man? Which of these two guys understands it deep in his gut – not just in his brain or in his policy statements, but who feels it so deep in his soul that it consumes him?”

That’s cute. But here’s the real story.

Everyone knows how dangerous the terrorists are. The key question of this election is which of these guys can do a better job leading the fight against terrorists. Intellect and strategy both count. The goal is effectiveness not childish bluster from people who are unconsciously trying to settle a score with the bullies who stole their lunch money.

So far, it looks like Osama is functioning pretty well even when pitted against a President whose soul is consumed.

This column is another reminder that it is Brooks and so many like him who have been consumed by partisanship and blinded by the Bush messaging machine. This is a campaign tactic, David. Not even W himself believes this garbage to the extent that you do.

Here’s a challenge. Resist the urge to predict what impact the new bin Laden remix will have on the U.S. presidential election. If you are a rabid Bush supporter, then the tape is further proof of the evil-doers in the world and a reminder that W is our leader in the struggle against Osama. If you are a rabid Kerry supporter, then the tape serves as evidence that the real threat to America is still at large and apparently has been doing just fine while our military efforts have been focused elsewhere. If you are a sensible and reasonably intelligent supporter of either man, then this tape (or any other monologues from sociopathic mass murderers) will have no effect on your voting plans.

That leaves us with a handful of those who are both senseless and undecided who may read Osama’s words and only then make their final decision. The only thing more ridiculous than their behavior is the behavior of all of the so-called experts who, five minutes after the tape was aired, were already totally certain which way it would swing those voters who no one has been able to figure out since this election began.

In the tape, Osama said that neither Bush nor Kerry held America’s security in his hands. Maybe this was really a subliminal endorsement of the Nader-Camejo ticket?

Let’s take a look at a CNN/Gallup/USA Today tracking poll taken just a few days before the election:

Bush: 52%
Gore: 39%
Nader: 4%

Of course, this poll was taken a few days before the election in the year 2000 and more than a month before we even had a final result.

If anyone seems highly confident going into Tuesday, they’re probably faking it.

With everyone still waiting for an October surprise, I wonder if either of these side-by-side headlines from the ABC News web site will qualify?