Zach Sire perfectly expresses what many of us are feeling these last days:
As we approach the final 72 hours of what has been a nearly two year campaign, I thought I’d disclose a couple of my election related mental health issues.
First, I have Election Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, or “EOCD.” I can not (and will not) stop looking at: the interactive state maps on Pollster and Yahoo and CNN, the charts and expert statistical analysis from Nate Silver on FiveThirtyEight, the big red font headlines from both sides of the aisle on Huffington Post and Drudge, the wingnut and moonbat “ranvings” (a hybrid of rants and raves) on RedState and DailyKos, news from the campaign trails on Politico, the comic relief on Wonkette, You Tube clips of racists at Sarah Palin rallies and Prop 8 commercials and Joe Biden gaffes, 270ToWin for historical context of electoral results going back to George Washington, and then there’s the dozens of bloggers I visit to get a feel for what “the folks” are thinking and saying in the comments sections. I can not stop.
Next, I have Election Anxiety, which is a result of my EOCD. The more I read and see and tabulate, the more anxious I become. What if I am over estimating Obama’s support in Pennsylvania? What if the LA Times releases that Rashid Khalidi tape and it shows Obama chanting “death to Israel”? What if they steal another election? What if McCain wins and then starts 20 more wars and then dies after his first two months in office? What if Obama wins and lets me down? I can’t sleep, my eyes are glued to either the teevee or the internet 24/7, unless I am showering or picking up dog poop, and even then I am still thinking about how there could be an electoral tie if something were to go awry in Maine or Nebraska.
Sometimes, this Election Anxiety, which again stems from my Election Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, becomes a full blown Election Panic Attack, [WLA NOTE: I had one of those on Tuesday night. For details see Marc Cooper’s blog] at which point I go back to Nate Silver for comfort (he always comforts me), but then I start looking at charts again and I’m right back where I started…….
Anyway, read the rest…..plus Zach has plenty of good links.
Latest ZOGBY: OBAMA +5.7%…
From The Economist,
Swing states: our conclusions: To 270…and beyond
Local polls are predicting a bad night for John McCain and big changes to the landscape of American presidential politics.
Even WASPs are rallying around Obama. Perhaps you have not been aware of all the prominent Republicans now supporting Obama. Susan Eisenhower, George Will, Colin Powell, Ronald Reagan, Jr., Reagan’s former Chief of Staff, and many more.
Obama is simply the more intelligent, competent choice. (Gov. Palin as Vice Presidential nominee has also been a disaster for McCain.)
I have what he has.
From today’s LAT “Top of the Ticket:”
Three Reporters Bumped Off Obama Campaign Plane.”
“Obama’s people say it was a tough decision to boot the reporters for the New York Post, the Dallas Morning News and the Washington Times. But, they say, there are only so many seats on the plane and somebody had to go.”
“It’s probably just a coincidence that all three papers recently endorsed Obama’s Republican rival for president, Arizona Sen. John McCain.”
And the other recent revelation, of course, that Obama’s aunt was ordered deported back to Kenya 4 years ago, but instead of complying, has been living in gov’t-subsidized housing and sent Obama $265 in donations. So like with the good Rev. “God damn America” Wright, he is either very, very blind to close advisors and family around him, or, in the case of the aunt, has chosen to distance himself from a woman who’s his closest living relative in the U.S., other than his sister. A woman who nonetheless donating to him.
On top of his inability to inspire off-the-cuff when unscripted and his enormous ego, and constantly changing his positions to get elected over Hillary (who, whatever you think of her, stayed much more consistent) and defeat McCain. The one genuine positive, that he’s internationally popular both in Europe and in countries with “people of color,” giving America a fresh chance abroad.
Despite all this, Sunday 2 Nov above is right, especially in his last paragraph. Palin is such a disaster. It will be quite a spectacle to see her and her polar opposite Hillary going after each other in 2012, even if Hillary’s saying she doesn’t plan to run. As Bill Maher puts it, talking about Biden, but it could apply to either Clinton as well: “the reader vs. the breeder.”
WBC, it’s so personal, I guess, in the end, whom you connect with, and whom you don’t—even when it comes to politicians that you and I have never met and may or may not ever meet.
Obama never seems arrogant to me at all. I’m not saying I’m correct in my view, and you’e not. I’m just realizing at some point it is so personal. I have friends who adored Hillary—and still do. While I respect much about her enormously, I’ve never, ever been crazy about her, and I see her actions through that lens.
Whereas Obama has always made perfect sense to me. It was reading both his books early on that did it—at least for me. Particularly his memoir about his dad, as the other, while good, was just an extended piece of campaign literature.
Anyway, just passing thoughts.