I really don't know about this new ad from CREEP. The dollop of Reaganite optimism, coming after interspersed images of a raving Al Gore, Hitler, Dick Gephardt and Michael Moore is jarring. And I object to the slogan,"this is not the time for pessimism and rage." Why not? When's a good time?

What's with this fascination with optimism anyway? It's dangerous."As the British psychologist Richard P. Bentall has observed, 'There is consistent evidence that happy people overestimate their control over environmental events (often to the point of perceiving completely random events as subject to their will), give unrealistically positive evaluations of their own achievements, believe that others share their unrealistic opinions about themselves and show a general lack of evenhandedness when comparing themselves to others.''' Does that sound familiar?

I'd respect a politician who said,"My fellow Americans, now is the time for pessimism and rage. For bitter remarks and caustic sarcasm. Now more than ever. Cynicism in defense of liberty is no vice. Optimism in the pursuit of idiocy no virtue."

But for my money, the greatest campaign slogan ever remains the one from the Norman Mailer/Jimmy Breslin 1968 New York mayoral campaign:"No More Bullshit!" I want a bumper sticker.