Tuesday, October 26, 2004

Civil War II: Electric Boogaloo

Is anyone else in a complete state of angst over the upcoming election? I mean, of course, a lot of people are, particularly the politics wonks out there. But I mean those of us whose daily lives are more concerned with earning our livings, caring for family and what's for dinner. I smell a lot of tension out there, and it's not just among the cultural élite.

So, on top of dealing with Seasonal Affective Disorder (why are those friggin' sun lamps so expensive?) and some recent hormonal issues that may send me to the doctor yet again, I've got this to worry about. That's right, not only could W win (I think I just threw up in my mouth a little), but it's possible that we could have an electoral college tie. That would mean that the decision of who becomes president would be up to the House of Representatives. And guess which way they would probably vote?

The worst thing is, if this were to happen, I'm not sure which outcome would be more depressing: the nation rising up in an endless chain of lawsuits possibly escalating to violence and/or governmental breakdown, or the American people shaking their heads, shrugging and getting back to trying to earn enough to buy that stuff at the mall for Christmas.

Is there a middle ground? Certainly the mystifyingly high incidence of "undecideds", along with those who already think their vote doesn't matter, contrasted with the true believers on either side of the fence nowadays, who are looking pretty rabid, allows for... something. I must say, however, that the combined whackiness of all of this, despite what some people say, has led me to discover myself humming "O, Canada" under my breath quite frequently of late. Oh, and then there's the universal health care and gay marriage.

So, forgive me if the stress is getting to me. I feel like I'm breathing it in every day. And you know a storm is brewing when the semi-Buddhist peacenik gets cramps in her jaw from clenching and has vivid daydreams about levelling everyone involved in the higher levels of politics with a large automatic weapon. Just invest in Tums and don't look for me on Election Day. M & I will be volunteering in various ways before then, but on that day, after voting, I intend to run screaming to the most removed, meditative spot available on my budget - or at least hide under the covers.

Oh, and P.S.: Jon Stewart for President.

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