One More Day.
It seems almost surreal that we are just one day away from the 2008 presidential election. As far as I'm concerned, there hasn't been a political contest during my lifetime to rival this one. No doubt this is a highly subjective assessment, but I have never been more actively involved in the process. For four years I've anticipated this crucial vote, and there were times that I didn't think it would ever happen. The darkness of the George W. Bush years seemed to preclude it. The Bush/Cheney executive administration has gobbled up so much power for itself that I was partially convinced that they wouldn't allow another election to occur. If the vote proceeds without undue controversy tomorrow, my long-held concerns will seem melodramatic.
As far as predictions go, I made mine long ago and I refuse to alter them. It just doesn't seem in my best interests to revisit that speculation. If you do a bit of digging throughout this blog, you can likely find it. I'd be lying if I told you that I haven't wavered in my confidence. Two years is an awfully long time to pass, and a lot has happened since then. Yet through that time I have been resolute in my desires for a specific outcome. The prospect for its achievement seems simultaneously imminent and yet entirely abstract. If the powers-that-be have intentionally made us doubt our victory, then it is only natural to reserve our excitement. The fact is that there are no certainties in American politics.
I can imagine the worst case scenario, and that involves a McCain/Palin-controlled White House. I believe that John McCain's biggest mistake was bringing the Alaskan Governor into the national political scene. It opened up Pandora's Box. The hand of the GOP has been forced, and there will be a day of reckoning. I cannot say for sure that it will come tomorrow, but I know that it is coming. Party politics are due for a massive generational shift, and it should be compelling to watch that play out. The Reagan Era is coming to an end. That alone is reason for hope. The times call for a shift away from divisive politics, and that is only possible if both the Democrats and Republicans begin to reevaluate their priorities.
I've been quite clear in my support for Barack Obama, and my feelings and thoughts about his candidacy have only intensified. There was a time not too long ago when I thought a McCain presidency would be an improvement over the last eight years. I no longer believe that. A GOP victory tomorrow would be disastrous for the future of this nation. The best outcome we could hope for in such an event would be total stagnation in the federal government. In my estimation, the United States can't afford that now. The difficulties facing the country (and the world) are too significant and momentous. The situation requires a steady hand, and Barack Obama has demonstrated that he has the even temperament to guide us through the approaching storm.
Regardless of what happens tomorrow, we have come a long way toward the changes we need. To think that a candidate with a Muslim-sounding name (that evokes associations with the two people on Earth most identified as our national "enemies" since 2001) has come this close to becoming our next president is evidence suggesting the political maturation of a large portion of our electorate. To think that we may elect our first "black" Commander-in-Chief is absolutely amazing, and speaks to the possibility of our continued relevance as a positive example to the rest of the world. I invite you to join me and millions of my fellow citizens in changing the course of history on November 4th, 2008.
Labels: Barack Obama, John McCain, Politics
posted by Merge Divide at 3:58 PM
4 Comments:
I also felt that McCain might have been an improvement over the past eight years. But that was in the early going of this long, drawn out campaign. That was also before he prostituted himself to the right wing of his party, and before he took Sarah Palin on board. Once he made those moves, he lost his credibility as any type of agent for change.
Obama, on the other hand, has remained steadfast throughout. The only thing that worries me is the wingnuts. The philosophies have grow so extreme I fear what the hate mongers, who have been very vocal in this election, might resort to once Obama takes office.
bubba,
I like to believe that they'll complain and dissemble a lot, but that they will limit their activity to words. They'll have a lot on their plate trying to figure out where they belong now.
It's not the conservatives who are declaring that "blood will run in the streets" and that the "second civil war" will break out if our candidate loses. LINK
You know for a fact that if Obama loses, cities will burn. The left is just as extreme, if not more so, as the right. Yet for some reason, you're allowed to transpose all the Left's craziness on us, while never taking credit for your own handiwork.
Whoa Steve,
I thought my response was pretty even-handed. I don't think Bubba was referring to riots either.
And yes, I have seen conservatives predict riots and blood if Obama loses- in fact I haven't seen a lot of that coming from more liberal commentators. Democrats have lived with political disappointments for the last eight years. Another loss (however unlikely at this point) is not going to set off waves of violence. But I could see a lot of suspicion of shenanigans.
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