“Where will it end? How low do you have to
stoop in this country to be President?”

—Hunter S. Thompson
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It’s down now to the last few weeks. The air froths with tension. The crescendo of blather, the simpering insipid press, blah, blah, blah, on and on it goes. The endless cycle of this daily poll and that daily poll, an incessant cyclone of noise and thunder.

I know how a lot of you are feeling. As the Presidential election looms, now just days away. So much at stake, and so many seem to sleep.

You know who you are. The ones with the sweaty palms, the palpitating heartbeats, shortness of breath, cold night sweats. The ones who hyperventilate at the thought their candidate might not win. That he probably won’t. The ones who can’t imagine the country in the hands of the enemies of all they hold dear.

I know who you are, too. I can sympathize. I used to be one of you. I was right in there with you during the last two Presidential campaigns. AlGore drove me bonkers. I still can’t stand to see him or listen to his deranged rantings about global warming. The pompous gasbag prophet. The haughty John Kerry and his equally haughty wife Teresa stirred their own apocalyptic visions in my head.

All the strain and stress of worrying and fretting about politics. It’s enough to unhinge sound minds and turn the strongest heart to quivering jelly.

And I wonder why we do it. Why we allow ourselves to become so wrapped up, so obsessed with the outcome of a political process.

Deep down, do we consider it our salvation? Not of our souls, but of our “heaven on earth?” If we do, we should know better. Politics is a vile and dishonorable profession; it poisons all it touches. Including you, if you drink too deeply of its tainted dregs.

All the characters running for office are deeply flawed. Corrupted by their years in office or by the process itself. They will promise anything they think we want to hear, but after they are elected, we are forgotten. As are their promises.

So I’m not doing it. Not this time. The strain and stress and hyperventilation, I mean. And it’s not about voting or not voting, or who you’re voting for. Do what you want. Vote pragmatically or vote your conscience. I’ll do the same. I won’t think less of you. You may think of me however you wish.

It’s about keeping perspective. And sanity.

I don’t know who will win. You don’t either. A few weeks ago it seemed like McCain. Lately, Obama has momentum, if the sycophant press can be believed. Somehow, I remain highly skeptical of the breathless media reports that it’s all over. Methinks they protest too much; they are “whistling past the graveyard,” hoping that because they say so will make it so. We’re still two-plus weeks out. We won’t know who won until November 4th comes and goes.

I’m going out on a limb here. I still think it will be McCain and Palin. The polls will tighten in the last week, when even the blatantly biased pollsters will want to get it right. Because of the Bradley effect, if Obama doesn’t go into election day with a substantial (5% to 7%) lead, he will lose.

If that happens, there will be riots in the cities. Especially if it’s too close to call and goes to the courts again like it did in 2000. If that happens, heaven help us all.

But I don’t know. It’s just my opinion. I’m not a prophet.

I’m irritated at the slobbering, slithering press and its blatant backing of Obama. They make no bones about it. Maybe they’ll get their wish. If so, he’ll bite the hands that fed him soon enough.

I’m irritated at a lot of other things too.

At McCain and his incoherent ramblings. Probably the most incompetent campaigner in the history of Presidential politics. The man said a few weeks ago that he’d consult AlGore on global warming. At his big government solutions to all things that ail the country. And probably most of all, for his co-sponsorship of the despicable McCain-Feingold Act and the suppression of free political speech. It’s just abominable. For that vile betrayal alone, the man does not deserve to be President. Period.

I’m irritated at Obama too, mostly for being a vacuous empty suit with a messianic complex, who spouts vacant socialistic platitudes about “change.” And that anyone who opposes him is instantly pegged as racist by the unhinged left. He can say nothing better than anyone I’ve ever heard. Not that I listen to him much. I’m sure the man is not the demon he’s portrayed to be. Yes, he’s a leftist, and yes, he’s a liberal, but if elected, his policies will not automatically become law. Any country that survived eight years of the degenerate Clinton can take on about anything. I do believe an Obama administration would be even more corrupt than Clinton’s was.

I still naturally react viscerally against all things liberal, the socialism, the base class envy at the core of all the Democrats believe and do. I have few illusions. Obama and Pelosi and Reid will drive our country straight over the cliff. Into oblivion. About five miles per hour faster than McCain would.

The Republicans had all the opportunities in the world to change things. Back when they owned the Presidency and both houses of Congress. That was their chance. Instead of seizing it, they dramatically expanded government, and spent money like drunken bums. Which they are.

The truth is that Bush has decimated the Constitution far worse than Clinton could ever have dreamed of doing. And far worse than either AlGore or Kerry would have done, had they been President. I’ve heard it said years ago that a Republican President will do more damage to the country than a Democrat, simply because those who should be on guard, the conservative base, always have their guards down and don’t protest as they should. I believe this is true.

With the recent bailout, federal powers have increased dramatically as the government seized control of practically every aspect of banking and finance. What government takes with its heavy hand, it does not easily relinquish. The market showed its confi-dence in the takeover by blasting up over 900 points on Monday, only to drop more than 700 points two days later. Dropped again today.

We are still in for a long dry slog through the desert. The piper will be paid.

More ominously, since Oct. 1, for the first time, we now have a brigade of troops stationed in our own country to respond to natural disasters and DOMESTIC CIVIL UNREST. In direct violation of Posse Comitatus [military personnel may not be directly involved in law enforcement]. The separation has been in effect since 1878. But Bush broke down the wall, and now they’re here. Heaven only knows what dark storms they portend. Before it’s over, the blood of American citizens will be flowing in the streets.

That’s what I fear and loathe. Not so much who’s running for President, or who will be President, but what our government has become. Where we are heading, regardless of who wins this election.

It’s OK to loathe. It’s not worth the effort and energy required to hate. And fear, well, we have the choice on whether or not it paralyzes us. A healthy fear is good, a paralyzing fear is not.

I believe that an old house with a rotting foundation that is falling down should be assisted in its fall, not shored up. Obama will take the house down faster than McCain. So if the country votes him in, it will get what it deserves. More severe pain, more quickly. But also a real chance for those who love freedom to clean up the mess. A mess that will have to be cleaned up sooner or later. Might as well be sooner.

Maybe in my lifetime. Maybe not. Whatever happens, it won’t affect who I am and what I believe.

Whoever wins, my tirades will be unleashed against them from time to time. As long as I’m allowed to keep this site. I fully expect the day to come, and it’s not that far off, when internet free speech will be a thing of the past. The Demoncrats are slobbering at the bit for the Fairness Doctrine and a lot more. All sites will be licensed and curtailed. And ultimately silenced.

Until then, I’ll keep plugging on.

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Congratulations to the Phillies for crushing the Dodgers in five games. Unfortunately, Tampa collapsed last night after leading the arrogant Red Sox, 7-0. Lost 8-7. With a swing like that, it will be a miracle if the Rays still pull it out in the next two games. But hope springs eternal, and all that.

If the Red Sox do make it, I will be in the extremely awkward position of cheering for the Phillies. And I mean awkward. It’s like the sun rising in the west. Maybe I’d just sit it out. Be neutral. As if that would be possible.

I stopped at Amelia’s Discount Groceries the other night on the way home from the gym. To pick up a few items for supper. As usual, I loaded up with more stuff than I had planned. The middle-aged Plain Mennonite cashier rang up my purchases.

“Fifteen twenty-eight,” she said pleasantly. I opened my wallet and extracted the cash.

To my horror, I had exactly fourteen bucks. I shuffled uncomfortably.

“I guess I’ll have to remove an item,” I stammered, pointing to a box of ice cream I didn’t need anyway, and hadn’t planned to buy. “I’ve got exactly fourteen dollars.”

“Oh, that’s quite alright,” the Plain Mennonite lady said soothingly. “It’s certainly not the first time something like this happened.” She re-rang the total. Thirteen seventy-eight.

I handed her all my money, took my change, and thanked her. “Thought I was better organized. I usually carry more cash.” I mumbled. She smiled kindly. She’d heard all the excuses before.

Embarrassing. Can’t remember the last time something like that happened to me. Probably when I was a teenager.