In A Climate Of Fear, Let's Remember To Breathe

When Ross Perot coined the phrase 'that giant sucking sound' during his 1992 presidential campaign, he was referring to the sound of American jobs being sucked into Mexico under NAFTA. Today, as Americans hold their collective breath to see what new horror the markets will bring, the giant sucking sound is more of a giant inhalation of fear. Fear that jobs will be lost, not just to foreign markets, but to the growing recession at home. Fear that our retirement funds will disappear. Fear that our homes will never again be worth what we paid for them. Fear of fear itself.

And just as fear is giving us respiratory problems, so is hope, in its way. As Barack Obama pulls ahead in the polls, his supporters are also holding their collective breath, afraid to speculate on the outcome, afraid to say it out loud, lest the polling Gods curse their arrogance and spin this thing the other way. I don't think I have heard the cliché about counting chickens before they're hatched quite so often in such a short period of time before. Or fearful references to "The Bradley Effect." Californians are especially worried about this, since they have seen this phenomenon firsthand when black mayor Tom Bradley lost an election despite a substantial lead in the polls, leading to the conclusion that people will tell pollsters one thing but do another thing (i.e. NOT vote for a black man) in the voting booth.

And so we hold our breath - out of fear, out of hope, out of helplessness. But at some point, we have to exhale. I came to my home town in the Colorado mountains this weekend to breathe fresh air under the golden aspens, to learn how to exhale once again. I highly recommend it, this breathing in AND out exercise. Even though Colorado is a "battleground" state in this election season, it is also a heavenly state in this fall season. Folks talk politics and financial crisis, of course, but the forces of nature are a powerful counterbalance. Last night, as I ate dinner with my family in the local café, I overheard the people at the next table talking about their concerns. "You have any frost yet?" asked one. "Yeah, my tomatoes are done for the year," said the other.

I'll take frost over fear every time.

Comments

[ChicoBrisbane]

P.S. Ms Miller,

I am more confident now then ever. In fact, I think that come election night, the electorial map is going to be so frickin' blue that the only red will be the CNN logo down in the lower corner of the television screen. Just wait and see!

Chico Brisbane

[ChicoBrisbane]

The outcome of the Palin investigation says little that we didn't already know or at least suspect. If anything, it shows what little regard Palin has for the rule of law as well as her office as Governor of The State of Alaska. The past few weeks have been a stunning example at how comfortable Pailn is with lying, and doing it with unwaivering eye contact. This is all too familiar of one Richard B. Cheney and reason # 101 why Palin should never go to Washington in any capacity whatsoever!

Chico Brisbane
http://chicobrisbane.blogspot.com/

[bigfated]

Finally...­..after 8 years of pure, unadulterated criminal behavior..­..we are about to get some relief.

Obama will be the one to first begin the undoing of the bullshit of these neo-con blood-sucking slime....b­ut it will probably take 8 years of Obama followed by 8 years of Hillary to even begin to return America to her former strength and glory.

A McSame presidency would surely be the final nail in the coffin to the rights we have taken for granted for over 200 years. Enough already of these fear-mongering, war-mongering, lying trash who have put us in this piss-poor situation.

Thank God the so-called "Reagan Era" is coming to a merciful end-----and REAL Americans will now clean up the disgusting mess these fools have made of our economy---our military---and our reputation. Let's hope that this particular version of the REPUGNANT party is finally dead and buried....­..and soon the vile, lying bitch from Alaska can return to her petty bullshit back home---(while explaining her "ABUSE OF POWER")---­--somethin­g we've had plenty of with the current liar and cheat presently stinking up the White House.


And let's get something straight! There is not only no need to be reluctant to call yourself a "liberal," even tho these lazy, good for nothing repugnants have done their best to make liberal a dirty word. I'm a LIBERAL...­.and I'm Goddamned PROUD of it

[amessenger]

Methinks I must protagonise! Their are 33 states that have the Diebold Black Box (pre-Republican Determined outcome) Voting Machines,.­..all can be slipped script that will drop votes, within days of the election, remotely, and the download destroys its own signature.
There is proof that Voter Purging is going on in the 5 or more Swing States by the RNC, who defends innocense with accusation, to cover their hyporacy. Votes in dispute are in the 30+ Thousand arena, ( or way more) and any challenge would have to go through State Supreme and U.S. Supreme Court, (remember Florida 2000?? Ohio 2004??
Obama should win. It couldn't be any clearer in a country where more than 75% of the people have a complete vote of no confidence in George Bush and the RNC to be forthright.
Now, when you alert yourself that a combat BRIGADE has been sent back from IRAQ especially to handle crowd control )excused as panic protection against the heat wave in the economic climate),.­..it makes deep breathing efforts go shallow.
Neverthele­ss,...Bara­ck Obama is a decent and honest man, a presidential potential possessing the magic of Hope and controlled optimism. He has humility, rather than the arrogant rage of John McCain and the "Girl-Bush" qualities of Alaskan Sarah---"B­ullwinkle"­---(nothin­g up her sleeve) Palin.
Your message of staying cool and playing to win is one I support and one portrayed by Barack and Joe. As John McCain would say, "it's a fundamental".

[judesedit]

Seeing McCain and Palin puts me in mind of Nazi Germany. The crowds are all white. It looks like every KKK, NRA, WASPy, Nazi skinhead, homophobe, right-wing evangelist has gathered there. And there ain't one Christian bone in any of those bodies. They are so prejudice against everything and everyone that. they are going to vote against themselves, their kids, their parents AND THE COUNTRY, that, McCain, has decided to put LAST. Just the thought of those lunatics being in charge dictating to us and the world, is what people are afraid of. We don't want to live in a fascist, racist, war-mongering theocracy full of hypocrites. I believe nuclear war is a definite possibility with those two.
I know the Lord has a plan for all of us and if that is to be the scenario, may the Lord's will be done. But, I am praying that this is the beginning of recovery for this country and the world. That good does overcome evil. I believe Barack Obama is the right man in the right place at the right time to begin the process. And I believe the American people will stand behind him and beside him and work hard and do whatever it takes to put us back on the right track. God willing.

[libbygirl]

Every time my husband makes his prediction of Obama's win, I cringe. All the cliches I can think of come pouring out of my mouth because I'm so afraid he will jinx it. It's not that I don't have faith in Obama's ability to win, it's just that I know that so much can happen in a short period of time and with McCain's campaign throwing all that spagetti on the wall I wonder and worry about what they will do next. Colorado, here I come.

[Pupadup4oBama]

we should never get complacent or cocky - BUT that's not to say that we can't have confidence that Barack Obama will become the next POTUS.
I think even JM knows it - that's why he told his supporters to stop with the ranting and heckling. Not that he did a great job of it - but hey that's something - and we'll take whatever we can at this point.
It's all good...als­o, think of it this way - fear is a HUGE motivating factor.

[vicenteduq]

MS Judy Muller :

Nice Article about fears of being triumphalist, also about the refreshing air and people of Colorado.

What if Latinos vote for Obama on the South West : New Mexico, Colorado and Nevada.

EVs = Electoral Votes

Kerry had 252 EVs on 2004. You need 270 EVs to win the White House.

New Mexico has 5 EVs, Nevada has 5EVs, Colorado 9EVs.

Kerry 2004 + NM + NV + CO = 252 + 5 + 5 + 9 = 271, ..... Obama President

Latinos will fare better under an Obama Administration.

He is rational, professorial, intelligent, intelectual, tolerant and humane. He is a gentleman and a man of reason that listens carefully to others. He takes advice and counsel, he consults other people.

I am sure that Obama will consult a lot with vicepresident Joe Biden when they are in the White House.

McCain is exactly the opposite of Obama. Irrational, Impetuous, he does not listen to others and is rash and imprudent. Many horrible reports in the press about bad temper, arrogance, egoism and egotism, despotic haughtiness. In the debates we see how McCain shows disdain for Obama. McCain is disrespectful. A politician of FEAR and HATE.

The Obama Coalition will have a lasting impact on American Politics. Because Blacks, Hispanics, Asians, Native Americans, Multiracials and others are going to increase their percentages as part of the population and will be mayority by 2042 ( according to the US Census Bureau )

http://tossUpStates.blogspot.com/

http://milenials.blogspot.com/

Vicente Duque

[lvdragonlady]

"afraid to speculate on the outcome" and we should be.
We should not take anything for granite.
We need to keep on the ground right up until midnight Nov 5th.
America can NOT afford to have this election stolen from us like the last time.
Celebrations are for after Nov 5 and NOT BEFORE.
Assume the polls are wrong and keep talking and registering new votes.
Obama needs a landslide, to make sure that the GOP does not steal the elections.­.........

Boots to the ground everyone, we have a long way to the finish line.

[payos]

thanks, exactly what I've been saying.

[Shiral]

We should fight like underdogs, GOTV and GOTV again. Fight every smear and every lie. ('m glad Obama has taken this advice to heart in his campaign--he's been vigorous at this, and his ads are hard-hitting without being sleazy.)

Like you, MS Muller, I'm fearful of every possible reversal. But I'm also hopeful that people are FINALLY waking up to the fact that an administration that rewards the Rich and punishes everyone else is NOT in their best interests and has not worked out too wel for anyone.

We'll still be in a mess after the election. But with Obama as the Pres-elect, at least we can start working to turn this around and feel that our president won't blindly rush us into another stupid, badly-planned war.

Obama/Biden '08 because I want my NEXT president to be reality-based!