Now I'm Scared Again

For a year, I've been preaching that Bush has no natural base of support -- he hasn't satisfied the power-mad religious right (hence Pat Robertson's public dig at Bush), he has infuriated fiscal conservatives with his free-spending ways and he's dismayed strong-on-defense conservatives by ignoring the advice of his top military advisers almost every step of the way and bungling the peace in Iraq.

So why am I suddenly freaking out all over again? Some polls show Bush gaining ground from last weekend to this -- God knows why. And the constant drumbeat that the election is thisclose has me doubting my belief that 10 million new registered voters, waves of young people who can't be polled (cell phones) and who favor Kerry to a strong degree, and the expected high turnout (which is always bad for an incumbent) are maybe not enough.

DON'T YOU DARE GO TO THE POLLS ALONE. If you go alone, you are wasting an opportunity. Go before work and stay as long as it takes to vote and BRING A FRIEND. Talk to coworkers today about meeting up at the polls and grabbing a coffee or doughnut to stand in line. It's more fun and you'll make sure that even the people who swear they're gonna vote actually vote. Then take more friends on your lunch break on Tuesday. (They don't know you're just going along for the fun.) Then badger more friends to meet you after work at the polls as well. TURNOUT. TURNOUT. TURNOUT. The higher the turnout, the better for Kerry. Pollsters are giddy with the possibility that 60% of eligible voters might actually vote, an extremely high number. But anyone who DOESN'T vote should be ashamed of themselves. Since you're reading this blog, you're already a lot more informed and involved and passionate than most people and you HAVE to light a fire under those who care but can get too busy to bother.

I don't mind being scared on Monday and Tuesday. I just don't want to be scared on Wednesday. Somebody tell me we're gonna win.