Kevin Starr, California's leading historian, points out that the mood in the state is reminiscent of the aftermath of the first and second world wars, when government was calmly regarded as a useful problem-solver and ideology was so muted that, in 1947, Earl Warren won both the Republican and Democratic nominations for the governorship.

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The mood for change also showed in state and congressional elections.

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Oversight of insurance has always been a state prerogative and Americans are not really in the mood to make that change at this time.

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Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice seemed to sum up the new conciliatory mood in a speech on Friday.

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In reality, the stock price reflects nothing more than the state of the current market value, as influenced by public mood swings between irrational exuberance and craven terror.

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Perhaps because they do not follow the mood of the American Congress closely enough, European governments were thrown into a state of shock by some of the messages they have received recently from Washington.

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Verhaeghen, who is also a novelist and describes himself as a "somewhat mood disordered person, " had a particular interest in the connection between creativity and this ruminating state of mind.

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