Posts Tagged ‘vote’

Ugh. If there has ever been a longer election season than this one, both in relation to time and emotion, I’d like to know what it was. For somewhere around two years, The Chase for Power has been among the headlines all over the United States. And now, somewhat anti-climatically, two years of media frenzy will end in one night. Someone is going to be elected President of the United States. Personally, now more than ever, I am starting not to care who.

Don’t get me wrong. Should Obama win, I will be shuddering in anticipation over the inevitable gloating of the hyperliberals, proclaiming the beginning of a new age. If McCain somehow manages to win, I will also be shuddering over the prospects of four years of the Old and Beautiful (but hey, at least we’ll have Tina Fey). About the only prospect that would get me excited at this point would be for either Nader or Bob Barr to pop up out of nowhere and steal the election away in a stunning upset. But since the odds of that are becoming increasingly slim, when either one of the Big Two win, nothing is going to change. The only good thing about tomorrow, besides people getting out there to tell their Congresscritters whether or not they’re doing a good job, is that the campaigns will finally end.

After tomorrow, for at least the next two years, there will be no more hype, no more spin, no more bullshit. Lipstick will be something women use to make themselves more beautiful, not the spawning point of a media firestorm. No more pigs unless someone’s having a barbecue, no more pitbulls unless you’re talking about Michael Vick, and no more William Ayers references. The only battle for Washington that will matter is the Redskins’ race to get into the playoffs. Most importantly, the sun will still rise Wednesday morning, the sky will still be blue or grey, depending on cloud cover, and we will still be in an economic mess.

The world will not change much on November 5th. No matter who is elected, they won’t take office until January 20th, anyway. The only change that matters is that we, who have been held hostage by election coverage for around two years, will be freed from that bondage. This is not to say that political coverage will cease; it never does. There will still be scrutiny of Bush as he prepares to pass the dimly-lit torch to whomever comes next; Iraq will still be hell on Earth; the stock market will still so much like a roller-coaster that it might inspire Six Flags’ next epic thrill ride. But all the hype that had ever been accumulated over the election season will become meaningless. For the next two months and 15 days, we will be in a transitional stage. From hype to reality.

So tomorrow, go out there and vote your ass off. Hopefully, by now, you’ve found a candidate who aligns with you. It doesn’t matter who it is. I won’t say that this candidate will bring doom to us all or that candidate is the second coming of Christ, because honestly, I don’t believe that, and it wouldn’t matter anyway. Just go out there, exercise your right, and vote. And if you’re old enough to vote but haven’t registered to vote by now…shame on you. Your fate lies in the hands of the ones who have registered and will vote.

Whatever happens, happens. Whatever will be, will be. The important thing is that as of November 4th, 2008, the 2008 electoral season will finally end. Enjoy it while it lasts; the 2012 electoral season will probably begin in 2010. Good luck, y’all.