Only Seven Six Days Left

 
Fact - Barack Obama has been campaigning for 20 months now.

If he is able to put his head down and keep his eyes on the Presidential prize, then so can we. We can be grateful in the fact we do not have to go out there, kiss hands, shake babies, deliver the same speech over and over again, and live with the pressure of knowing that all of the work you've put into this effort, all of the setbacks overcome, the daily questions over every decision you've made, pointing out the tired red herrings early and often; all of that will come to an end next Tuesday.

At least Obama has some work to focus on. What about the rest of us? We have to do something with all of this pent up energy. May I suggest the following:

- Watch the Republican party implode.

This isn't about gloating. This is about watching a once dominant institution falling in upon itself as if it were the Stardust on the Vegas strip.

This is unprecedented, people. It simply doesn't happen. Some of the things we've already seen in this election cycle usually don't happen until there are days left before the vote.

Let's look at some of the major events that took place since last Friday as a small sampling of what's been happening in the grander scheme of things:

Friday, backwards 'b.' Saturday, SNL snubs McCain. Sunday, McCain can't remember the five former Secretaries of State who have endorsed him on Meet The Press. Monday, the ludicrous half-assed terrorist plan to assassinate Barack Obama is exposed, polls from reliably red Virginia are released showing Obama in the lead, and the ambivalent mercenary George Stephanopolous becomes the first voice in the mainstream media to point out the obvious. Tuesday, pro-Palin Bill Kristol switches up, and another poll shows McCain up in Arizona by only two points! IN ARIZONA!

We may come to find that cats and dogs are sleeping together on Wednesday.

This is only on the national scale, who knows how many countless other examples could be found locally? Such as Senator Ted Stevens' being found guilty of corruption, or having the Republican gubernatorial candidate in Washington, Dino Rossi, having to testify against charges of illegal campaign coordination.

Looking at all of this in the aggregate, you may come to agree with Salon's Gary Kamiya: The conservative ship is sinking, and they have no one to blame but themselves.

- Watch Democrats fight back against Right-leaning members of the media.

Whether it's Biden casting doubts on the seriousness of an interviewer, or Obama spokesman Bill Burton simply calling a spade a spade, it is refreshing to finally see some spine from the progressives. This kind of spirit would not have been seen two years ago. Not even a year ago.

- What to do with all that leftover vigilance and anxiety? Let's not kid ourselves, there's still plenty to watch for. Problems both questionable and genuine continue to arise in places like Virginia and Colorado.

You'd be surprised what simply voicing yourself can do. You may run into opposition, that's only natural, but your saying something will likely touch minds of people who think like you.

That connection may inspire someone else to vote, if nothing else.