Election Day Predictions

What a beautiful day for an election. Birds are singing, the sun is shining (at least in my state). People are opening doors for each other and whistling happy tunes. For me, election day is what I assume Super Bowl Sunday, Christmas, or opening day of a Michael Bay movie are for other people. I was up late and woke up early, and I’m giddy with anticipation for tonight when the results come in. There’s an episode in season 7 of the West Wing that takes place on election day, and Josh can’t stop running around trying to make last minute changes, when really all there is left to do is vote and wait. That’s how I feel.

So now many people are filling the hours between when the polls opened and when they will close by predicting the outcome of the election. I’m not going to do that for two equally ridiculous reasons. First, though I consider myself a person of reason, I’m still not immune to the feeling that I’m going to jinx myself. There’s still a small part of me that blames myself for John Kerry’s defeat, all due to my optimism. Secondly, no matter what my prediction, the only thing that matters is what actually occurs, so I have nothing to gain and any semblance of intelligent analysis to lose.

Instead, let me make a broader prediction. I think that in the coming weeks, people are going to come down off their rhetoric, and start thinking about how we can come together and make things work again. People will once again pay attention to George Bush, so that hopefully he won’t get away with all of the last minute executive shenanigans he’s planning. I think all the hate-mongers will retire to their corners to fester in their racism, but will mostly leave the rest of us alone.

I believe that when historians look back on this election, much of the bitterness and mudslinging will be forgotten, but what will be remembered is that Barack Obama ran one of the most disciplined and effective campaigns in history. Win or lose, he has done the seemingly impossible. He’s shown us that a black man, from a mixed background and non-traditional family, with an unusual name and new ideas can overcome the politics of division and a history of bigotry in this nation to become President. He’s shown us that a good man can succeed in politics without resorting to dirty tricks and outright lies. Win or lose, he’s given hope to people that have given up on the idea that America can live up to the promise of it’s ideals. Inarguably, that hope will be better served if he wins, but no matter what happens, starting tomorrow there will be millions more people involved in their own government again.

I also predict that I am going to have either a very good night, or a very bad one. But either way, much like the end of The West Wing, I will be a little sad that this time is over, but also excited and hopeful for what’s to come. Good day and good luck.