I have been the most cynical of all my friends about the possibility of Obama getting elected. Most people I hang with have been convinced for a long time that he will do this. I tend to have a lot less faith in the American people, the same people who put our current idiot in office the last two elections (OK, so the Supreme Court put him in the first time and voter suppression in Ohio put him in the second time, but it shouldn't have even been close enough to be able to steal).
With the McCain camp's smear machine making up malicious accusations out of whole cloth about Obama and the racist core that our country has still not shaken off, I have been convinced that they would find a way to beat the "uppity nigger" and prove me right. Not that I want to be right on this. If there is one thing I would love to be wrong about, other than thinking the Cubs will find a way to blow it, this would be it.
There appears to be signs of hope. Quinnipiac University put out their newest swing state poll today and they have Obama up in the three big states of Pennsylvania, Ohio and Florida, and by significant amounts in all three. You can read Quinnipiac's summary here, but here is the important part:
"Florida: Obama up 49 - 43 percent pre-debate and 51 - 43 percent post-debate;
Ohio: Obama up 49 - 42 percent pre-debate and 50 - 42 percent post-debate;
Pennsylvania: Obama ahead 49 - 43 percent pre-debate and 54 - 39 percent post-debate.
Pre-debate surveys ended at 8 p.m. Friday with post-debate surveys Saturday-Monday."
I think the most encouraging part is the big jump he took in Pennsylvania after the debate. A state that John Kerry had no problem winning, Obama has been treated with a lot of suspicion by the white working-class voters there and has been having a hard time pulling ahead of McCain there. Maybe people really are hearing the truth through the muck that McCain has thrown out to distort and distract from the issues.
Could it be that I can allow myself to hope?
I'm not exactly sure how to deal with that emotion....
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I'm feeling MUCH the same way. Just blogged about how I'm so afraid of the closet racists in America. They can SAY they are OK with a black man in office, but in the privacy of that voting booth, people realize their power. I'm terrified. Hope isn't something I'm able to feel much right now either.
In NC, the lines just crossed. We aren't typically a swing state, but we're pretending to be one this election. I feel like Obama has been here WEEKLY! I know it isn't that much, but he's here all the time, and McCain? I haven't seen hide nor hair of him.
Listen, Deni, if you never allow yourself to hope, how can you experience the sweet, sweet misery of having those hopes crushed? Just let go and embrace the possibility that your soul will be torn to shreds!
I have the hopes going, but I'm keeping a real close eye on them buggers...2000 and 2004 in particular took a lot out of me. 32 days is a long time.
I live in a very white town and I'm terrified too, like Abby said. Obama yard signs are getting stolen, I hear the n-word uttered like it's just some everyday thing, and it's truly just acts and words of complete ignorance and fear.
But I continue to have hope. Obama inspires that. It's definitely hard, when it seems like the hope could easily be dashed .. but maybe, just maybe, this thing will happen.
good examples of reasons to have hope:
1. not sure how many other commenters are from NC, but SEI officially has 3 democratic NC readers...abby, swine, and momentofchoice (sadly i cannot vote but am threatening many to do so on my behalf)...point being (and as Abby has referenced) NC is moving in a good direction.
2. people like Stef also exist. from a teeny town in Ohio. a democrat. and she QUIT HER JOB the day her manager uttered the 'n-word'...
3. other people like Erin O'Brien exist in Ohio. spreading the logical love with her writing skillz. read her blog here. read her column here.
4. people like the savvy, the extreme & the idealist exist and reach out to each other across the country to collaborate on getting out important information and interesting perspectives... drumming up necessary conversation
5. i'm sure there are more but it's past my bedtime.
goodnight and thanks for your blog.
Though I was going to save it for Saturday, I'll spill a little bit of it here: Thank you for the thank you, and I had no idea the NC was so well represented here.
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