Election day. It's 3am on the east coast. I've been more than a little obsessed with this. Pouring over poll results, articles, opinion pieces. Count me among the many Democrats who are freaking out, despite strong evidence we need not. I've tortured myself by reading a number of What If?, Cart Before the Horse and Here's How it Could Happen articles.
I know many of you think this is a foregone conclusion. I mean, he is obviously the best choice. But it's just monumental on a number of levels. This is history in the making, as they say.
I keep thinking, "If he wins, it means we're not just a bunch of hypocrites." If he loses they'll say it was his inexperience, but it won't have been. Race seems to be the factor that will ultimately decide this election. If people can get over it, he wins. If they can't, he loses. Big city folks don't want to admit how strong a role this will play, but you can bet it will.
This seems to be the perfect storm of circumstances that would allow for an Obama presidency. Eight years of horridness courtesy of a good ole' boy from Texas. I guess the silver lining is that this could have never come to pass if the last eight years had been good or even just so-so. By all accounts, most Americans feel it's time to try something entirely "other". But I just cant feel the confidence everyone says I should. It seems that in a country that still had segregated facilities as recently as forty years ago (that would be within Obama's lifetime), a great number of people will be unable to take that leap. And for them, it is a major leap.
I hope I am worrying needlessly. I hope that today, at least, America can be what it claims to be. Tomorrow we can worry about whether or not he'll actually be able to do anything. Today let's just hope he gets the chance to try.
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