Election Results Will Devastate Half the Country

While it is always dangerous to predict the outcome of elections, here is one prediction that is certain to hold up: approximately half of U.S. voters will be ecstatic on Tuesday night and the other half (or slightly less than half) will be devastated. And the winning side will see their victory as a triumph of good over evil, and the losing side will see their loss as a giant step on the road to ruin for the country they love.

Has there ever been a presidential election so polarizing? Certainly plenty of folks were outraged in 2000, when the outcome came down to a Supreme Court decision and Democrats were sure they'd been robbed. Eight years later, with the country in ruins, we are still hearing the angry rhetoric of blue state-red state division. And that worries me. Because on Wednesday, November 5th, one of these two candidates is going to have to find a way to take the devastated, bruised, outraged feelings of millions of Americans and cauterize their wounded psyches, make them believe that they still have a vital voice in this democracy. If you support Obama, you're thinking, "No problem - he has been the voice of inclusion from the get-go!" But if you support McCain, you've been led to believe that the election of Obama will lead the country into Godless Socialism, a place where terrorists will have free rein and taxes will rise and abortionists will thrive. It's important to understand that millions of people believe this. And they will be just as angry about their guy losing as Obama supporters will be if THEIR guy loses. And these are not people who are threatening to leave for Canada. Some (certainly not most) of these people are just plain threatening.

So even as I hold my breath for the election results, I find myself fast-forwarding to the day after, and the days after that, when one person will be expected to not only clean up the enormous mess -- war, recession, global warming -- he will inherit from the horrendous blunders of he past 8 years, but also to convince Americans that he truly represents all of them. Our country's strength is that we are passionate about our beliefs, including the one that allows for a peaceful transition of power every four or eight years. We don't stage a coup, no matter how tempting.

Predictions are dicey, but it's pretty safe to predict that -- win or lose -- Americans will honor the outcome of a fair race, with the emphasis on FAIR. With passions running so high, on both sides, any appearance of voter fraud will be extremely harmful to the already enormous burden facing the winner: to convince voters who have spent many months TAKING sides that they need to be on the SAME side when it comes to healing what ails us.

Comments

[TheBlackCat]

Now here's My question. If Obama wins, and then none of these predictions come true- we don't have a Muslim or communist takover of the United States...will these people recognize and/or admit that they were lied to by their own trusted politicians? And if not...how else will they spin it?

Will we, years from now, be hearing about how the Marxist Muslim Barack HUSSEIN Obama tried his best to make us all hand over private property to the state and worship Allah; but the brave Republicans, despite being a minority in government, held fast and saved us all from certain tyranny and destruction?

[IluvAmerica NOW]

Please Vote and help others too.

[justobserve]

Don't worry! If Obama wins, the other half will soon find that they had been lied to by McCain and Palin. McCain-2008 and Palin: a double fraudulent act that even McCain-2000 would NOT approve of.

[Just Joe]

yup. Now the half that supported Bush in 2000 and 2004 will know how we felt. Its been 8 long years of devastation for us and I am looking forward to turning that around.

[vernbvb]

Judy, I pray that your predictions are true but I see it a little bit differently. I believe that Obama supporters might be more than devastated if he loses and they will probably mount one humongous revolutional protest because they will know that only outright electoral fraud can cause his loss.

A McCain loss, on the other hand, might incite displays of hate and violence such as we haven't seen since the 60's. This will be mainly due to the environment that has been created by such negative and bigoted campaign ads and the inciteful Sarah Palin.

I do believe that most Americans will honor a fair outcome. But, because this election has taken us to a place where it shouldn't have, we will definitely need intervention to avoid a major crises by those few who are likely to be out of control.

[marijam]

Obama will be in a no-win situation if he wins with the half that loses. If he reaches his hand out to them then they will say he is weak, if he does not, then they will say to their supporters "We told you so". What's most disturbing in all of this is the "we don't compromise with the liberals because we're 100% right, 100% of the time and they are 100% wrong, 100% of the time," mindset of the right wing talk show hosts that whip up their electorate into a revolutionary frenzy. Do not underestimate them.

[Soundofthunder]

Half? Try a third. The third that voted for McCain.

SOT

[Fez]

The single greatest crime committed by George W. Bush during his reign of error was to have encouraged meanness, bigotry, violence and stupidity among American citizens. He did it every day, continues to do it, and will do it after he leaves office. It will be hard enough to clean up the numerous disasters he has created or exacerbated, but his ongoing appeals to the basest instincts of Americans have fostered more hate and discontent than any single "leader" since the Civil War. He has even bred a new clutch of demagogues like Sarah Palin to continue the spewing of venom and denial of facts. It will likely take another event like 9/11 to bring Americans back together. Until then, put in your ear plugs and hunker down because Teh Rage has not yet fully expressed itself.

[FairTalk]

I understand that many hold this opinion. However, few who will vote for McCain seem to be enthusiatic. many believe, falsly that Obama is a Muslem and a Communist. I immagine that soon after he is elected they will begin to realize they were had. I doub't they will feel devistated.

The Obama supporters, however, are another story. They have been troopers for two years. They will take a loss hard. I am not including the Hillary supporters here. So, I believe that "only" about 20% of Americans would be devistated with an Obama loss.

However, we will, in my opinion, see our economy continue to be devistated by ill concieved idelogical "beliefs"and greed driving the downward trend.

[Softnsweet]

FairTalk, Hillary supporters will be desvistated as well. Hillary supporters have been working for Obama just as hard and I am very proud of them. Democrats have come together, if Hillary would have won Obama supporters would have done the same. The democratic party would be unreconcilable.

[Laurie66]

This is overly dramatic. Obama does generate tremendous excitement in his supporters, and there will be many devastated Obama supporters.

On the other hand, only 13% of McCain's supporters are excited by the campaign. Most of his supporters are not the crazed, easily influenced mob. There are many people who simply vote Republican because that is where their culture and political philosophy lies. To characterize anyone who votes for McCain as being devastated if he loses because they believe in his race bating and strangely resurrected red bating, is simplistic. Although the no-tax Republicans can hate being taxed, they will not have deep scars because they lost or believe that Obama is a terrorist socialist.

Voter fraud is a real issue, and it worries me deeply that the reports of switched votes always seem to favor the Republicans. If it were an accident, it would be more evenly matched. For the Republicans to buy some cover for potentially switched votes, they have been decrying ACORN, which has to to with phony registrations, is a completely different issue, and doesn't affect actual votes.

Every Obama supporter needs to vote and check your vote three times, read all instructions, and make sure you do nothing at all to invalidate your ballot. Be careful with every section of it.

[marijam]

I don't think that it is overblown. I'm ready to go where ever I am asked to go and do what ever I am asked to do, should McCain end up winning this thing and it looks like fraud is involved. I'm not going to be devastated, I'm going to be angry as a hornet and ready to fight. I'll be out on the streets yelling my head off and doing everything that I can to get every single Obama supporter to do the same. They're not going to get away with trying to steal yet one more election. No way, no how.

[OldLeatherNeck]

This is why it is so important for all of us to continue to work for an Obama Landslide.

If Obama narrowly wins both the Popular and Electoral votes, the Hannitys and Limbaughs will blame it all on Voter Fraud and Media Bias. Unfortunately, their information challenged listeners will believe them.

If, on the other hand, Obama wins by a landslide, the GOP will be forced to do some serious introspection.

As to the prospect of the GOP forming a very big "Circular Firing Squad," I say....PRAISE THE LORD AND PASS THE AMMUNITION!!

[Softnsweet]

I love it OldleaherNeck! "Informationally challenged listeners"

[DuPageDem]

Bush has never been a legitimate president, yet he got the US to follow him over a cliff. At least O will have an actual victory in his pocket. If some don't like it, screw them. I've been angry beyond words for the past eight years. Now it's their turn.

[vernbvb]

I wholeheartedly agree. Not to mention that the Bush presidency tarnished our Supreme Court's credibility. I still find that the most difficult thing to get over. They knowingly handed over the presidency to him knowing that thousands of Florida voters were disenfranchised with their decision. To this day, I can't believe they interfered in that way.

[Altalena]

All you have to do is read the comments here to realize that the real hate is emanating from the left, not the right.

[judesedit]

Spare us. As usual. A Rovian style remark from a republican. Project onto others what you are responsible for and hope the people are stupid enough to buy it. Not this time. It's all on tape..

[mommadona]

OH, YEAH?

http://www.rightwingwatch.org/content/vote-obama-go-hell

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/2008/10/30/2008-10-30_rightwing_radio_hosts_bracing_for_barack.html

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/us_elections/article3382313.ece

http://www.finalcall.com/artman/publish/article_5347.shtml

[Rusty 9696]

I guess you have never seen Hannity?

[corkonian]

It's not hate, it's fear - and real concern for the future and well-being of the country.

[corkonian]

It's not hate, it's fear - for the future of the country. We can't go back!

[itmaybetoolate]

Why in the world would you believe that mcsame cares anything about healing divisions? Did bush? No! Do any of these rabid repubs care about finding common ground? No! You operate out of the typical "democratic" world view - that our "Americanness" trumps all else and we are in this together. These folks don't think that way. They DON'T CARE about accommodating our values and beliefs. If they steal the election (the only way they can win now in my opinion) they will rub it our faces, and those racist lunatics supporting mcsame/falin will feel empowered to do and say whatever they want.

It will be very different world if mcsame is installed in the WH - a scary, unstable, repressive world.

[XME]

Yes, whoever wins, many will be not only upset, but angry...whether it's a fair election or not! Because of this, I worry about some of the nuts who will come out of the woodwork.

[Bombenhagel]

If McCain loses, the Republicans should own their failure. Obama could still lose this thing. I am BEGGING everyone to vote in person and bring your camera.