I can't believe it.

I haven't been blogging. But, I have definitely been paying attention. (Probably, in terms of my schoolwork and my sanity, too much attention.) I've been obsessing over liberal blogs and news sites, donating, e-mailing others to donate, traveling to Philly to canvas--and being obnoxious about posting things on facebook. I kind of came to the conclusion that I had a better chance of communicating the importance of the election through my facebook contacts. (I mean, who actually reads my blog?)

But, anyway...My point is this. I know what's going on. I know a lot of people are saying Obama will win, that the polls say so. I will not let myself believe it. No. First of all, polls change. These will change. Second, in all of my adult life, I have known only disappointment and exasperation when it comes to Presidential elections. Clinton won when I was an adolescent, and this made me think that--much like Michael Jordan's Bulls--my team would always win. Then, 2000. The first election I could vote in. The first one I got involved in.

Stolen. Let's not mince words. It was stolen. And stolen by possibly the most dishonest, disastrous President in our nation's history.

2004. I was in it. I was ears deep. I invested my heart and soul into that campaign, believing our country could NOT be so dumb as to opt for four more years of incompetence, greed, and religious extremism.

We lost. We lost Iowa. We lost Congress. We lost governorships.

We lost the Presidency because a gay marriage ballot in Ohio got the bigot vote riled up. And I lost any interest or faith in politics. I just gave up on the whole swampland.

It wasn't until Obama amazingly won my lily-white home state this year, setting off his epic battle with another history-making candidate, that I could muster the ability to care again. And now...I'm in over my ears. I'm 10 feet below the surface. I've never cared about an election like I care about this one. We have a chance, I think, in electing Barak Obama, to atone for the sins of 2000 and 2004. I am not prone to exaggeration, but I believe, based on what I have seen of how he's organized his campaign, that Obama is a brilliant man, a natural, a natively talented leader. His election would reverse, in one swoop, a great deal of the hatred and anger the rest of the world feels towards us. I think he could lead the Democrats into an era of dominance we haven't seen since FDR. Circumstances are conspiring to make this possible. By which I mean, we have the closest thing to another Depression--an economy that is begging for another New Deal.

And...he would be the first black president. I did not think I would see this. I still may not. I can't believe it's so close.

Which is why I'm reserving judgment, delaying excitement. It still could be very close. Race could make that happen. I plan to donate at least once more to Obama. I plan to go to Philly (or Ohio, if I can swing a long weekend?) If anyone's reading, I ask you to do the same.

Donate or Volunteer:
http://www.barackobama.com/index.php

The Congressional Dems also need help:

DNC:
http://www.democrats.org/

Daily Kos' "Orange to Blue" tool for supporting close races nationwide:
https://secure.actblue.com/contribute/page/orangetoblue?refcode=thermometer