Are you finding it hard to focus? When you think about the possibility of McCain winning next week do you feel lost and bewildered at what that would mean to your life? Do you feel like your head is about to explode?
Me too.
Are you hysterically ambivalent? Do you go between watching and reading every single word spoken and written about the election, following every poll and poll of poll and poll of poll of poll...and never wanting to hear another pundit ever again, even Rachel Maddow?
Me too. Well maybe not Rachel Maddow.
Do you go from one frame of mind to another? From envisioning an America which has just elected the first African-American in its history and is in the hands of someone who knows what he's doing...with some hope for the future...to envisioning an America who has just voted out of fear and hatred and believed all of the lies...again?
Me too.
It's a good thing I live in Oregon, where an Obama victory is assured. And if the worst happens, it'll be a good place to stay.
I usually have an election-night party at my house. I may not. In 2004, everyone came over enthused. Remember the exit polls? Remember how you felt when it went the other way?
Think of that times, oh say, a hundred million this year.
Get a grip on yourself, D'Antoni.
I voted last week. In Oregon we have vote-by-mail. I won't debate the merits of that method, but when I filled out the ballot, I didn't have the feeling I thought I would have voting for Obama. I mean, I cried during his acceptance speech in Denver, didn't you?
I made a mistake while voting. My wife and I were sitting at the kitchen table filling out our ballots and I accidentally signed her ballot envelope by mistake. Even though it had her name plainly printed on it.
After absorbing the deserved abuse, I suggested we take our ballots to the election board and make sure everything was Kosher. It was. But instead of handing them to the man behind the counter like I thought I would, the African-American man behind the counter pointed to a light blue plastic box with a slot in the top.
I suddenly realized what I was going to do. I turned to my wife and asked if she wanted to put her own in. She did. It was obvious why.
My action of dropping my ballot in the box was quick but it seemed like I was moving in slow-motion and I filled up and flushed with emotion. I just got the same feeling typing this.
I felt like maybe my life had meaning after all. Maybe in some minuscule way all of the things I had done...written...put on TV...said on the radio...to try to promote love and understanding had somehow paid off.
And now I think, if McCain wins, will that all be washed away and destroy any remaining hope I had for America?
Like I said, can somebody make this election be over?
You feel that way too?
For more posts on Election Anxiety, click here.
Are you suffering from Election Anxiety? How has the election impacted your life? Tell HuffPost, and we may just quote you! Tell us your stories using this Survey Monkey form.
Follow Tom D'Antoni on Twitter: www.twitter.com/TomD'Antoni
I truly feel that the fate of Western civilization -- maybe the planet -- rests on the outcome of this election, and that an end-result of President McCain, Vice President Palin, and a possible succession of Palin to the presidency... well, I truly believe it will be the end of the United States as a power in the world, and perhaps as a unified nation.
No, I don't see Barack Obama as holy, perfect, supernatural, or some object of worship. It's that his leadership ability, his multiculturalism, his obvious respect for people of all nations/religions/dispositions/perspectives... you get the point...
He's no namby-pamby peacenik, yet he will inspire the nation, and the world, to try a little harder to get along, to be respectful. How can that be bad?
The Republicans and Democrats alike are readying their Voter Fraud arguments, should their side lose. Like the last two elections, this will come down to an election by lawsuit. Of course, the Republican claims of vote fraud on the part of Democrats are more or less groundless; while the claims against the Republicans have already proven substantial with irregularities in Florida and elsewhere.
So for one thing, Obama has to win by enough votes to offset the Republican-skewed voting machines and voter suppression tactics. And also, he has to hire the best lawyers for the Second Election - the one handled in civil court with zero input from the populace of this country.
5000. - N.
I don't tend to allow others to set my inner dialog... I've been playing my "bring it (me) Home" Game for many years... I can NOT change the other person, I can only bring Home my response ability for what I think and feel... It's NOT what the other person did/ does, but more as to what I BELIEVE about what happened...
Having said that, never have I felt such an attempt to "slime" our Nation as that which McCain/ Palin and other Republican's have done... As though they have never met a LIE, they are not willing to Mate With, in order to Control our Nation... Ugggghhhhh and ukkkkie slime spewers.....
SaraKay Smullens
New Blogger
But we have decided to wait it out until November the 4th.
Using personal time to take the day off from work, we plan to show up at our polling station early, to stand in line, if need be.
We don't trust the early voting. Everything we've read about "mis-calibrated machines," to "lost ballots," and "missing forms," etc. has caused us (in our paranoic way) to decide that we will risk our votes being lost on Election day, and not before (We DO have our voter registration cards under a magnet on the refridgerator to take with us, though, along with picture ID...)
Around here, there is no more, "How was YOUR day, honey?" conversations...Everything rolls around, 'Did you read the latest piece of stupidity from the McCain Camp today?" or, "Well, the GOP is trying their damnedest to steal the election in Michigan with mail-in validations..." or other inane, FEARFUL crap...
THAT is what I truly despise the McCain Campaign for, even MORE than the smarmy lies they've perpetuated about Obama for months, now. I HATE the fact that we are all so AFRAID! Afraid of the election being stolen, afraid that somehow, our votes WON'T count (even though, with the Eletorate System, they really don't count past the tipping point of majority vote)...
Tuesday CAN'T get here soon enough.
But I DO have the champagne chilling for Tuesday night, when OBAMA WINS!
Tomorrow the circus comes to town
the kids all gather round
the shooting range and gallery
their face of cotton candy.
High above and out of touch
the pigeons coo and gawk.
Rolf Krogsæther 1977
I had tears in my eyes, not just during Obama's convention speech, but while reading your post as well. You brought up everything I have been feeling in recent weeks. Pride and hopefulness alternating with fear and despair.
I live in Pennsylvania, a swing state, and while Obama is way ahead in the polls, I will be glued to the election results, legs shaking and a lump in my throat, until he is declared the winner. If it goes the other way, I just don't know what I'll do. Start learning a foreign language so I can relocate maybe. Any suggestions?