.....and there is what some see as the inevitable tightening in the polls and a tightening in the pit of my stomach. Like many other Obama supporters, I'm a bundle of anxiety and a mass of nervous energy; hanging chads in 2000 and disenfranchised voters in 2004 aren't confidence builders for those of us who desire change and have hope for an America that is better for all Americans.
On the flight home last evening, I found that I was listening to Pride (in the Name of Love) by U2, Dave Stewart's American Prayer and Early in Morning by Peter, Paul and Mary over and over, trying to keep the election bogeyman in the back part of my brain, where he belongs.
This morning, helping to keep the demons at bay is some good news for Obama:
- Fivethirtyeight.com now calculates that John McCain has only a 2.8% chance of winning, his lowest percentage ever.
- Pollster.com shows a tighter race, but Obama is still maintaining a 6% point lead.
- Early voting in Florida favors Obama.
- Mr. Canned Tan (John Boehner) of Ohio is losing his marbles over Obama.
And finally, the best news for Obama, is that his campaign is still run by numbskulls. This from the official campaign memo:
Ohio and Pennsylvania - Everyone knows that vote rich Ohio
and Pennsylvania will be key battlegrounds for this election. Between
the two: 41 electoral votes and no candidate has gotten to the White
House without Ohio. Senator McCain and Governor Palin have been
campaigning non-stop in these key battleground states and tonight
Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has pumped up our campaign at a rally in
Columbus. Our position in these states is strong and undecided voters
continue to have a very favorable impression of our candidate. (emphasis mine)
Uh, no Mr. Davis. That is wrong, wrong, wrong. That should read "no Republican candidate has gotten to the White House without Ohio." Kennedy did it and so did FDR. John McCain has to have Ohio. Barack Obama can lose Ohio and still win the electoral college. In fact fivethirtyeight.com, shows that there is an 81% chance that will actually happen. It calculates that McCain has less than 1% chance of losing Ohio and winning the Presidency.
But none of the polls or calculations will matter unless we get out the vote. So in the next three days, make sure that all your progressive friends get out and vote. If you have time, canvass or phone bank for Obama. If you don't have time for that, send an email for Obama. And please, please, please--vote.