Grant Me the Serenity

Two things, which are completely out of my control, have me in a foul mood this evening, and I wonder half-jokingly if they’re somehow linked. If you were the sort to gloat, you might say that they’re exactly the kind of things that an East Coast liberal should be rightly suffering over. There’s lots of things I could say in response to that, but I’ll just say that that’s what makes this country great, right?

The Son Also Rises

Second, I’m bitterly frustrated over the apparent boost that George W. Bush is seeing in the polls this week. The president is apparently reaping the benefits of the disproportionate media attention paid to the infamous Swift Boat Veterans for Truth. (I take a little solace in the fact that Chris Fahey has poked even more holes in their story.) These dirty politics make me sick to my stomach.

For the first time since June, polling data appears to indicate that Bush will have the 270 electoral votes necessary to win the election in November. This upsurge flabbergasts me, because a clear majority of Americans believe that the country is headed in the wrong direction — yet the same public looks ready to ask Bush to drive us all right off the cliff. Ezra Klein, as a guest blogger at Political Animal, wrote a great post today about the looming danger. Anyway, I’m trying to come to grips with the idea that Bush may just win in November, and with the long-term damage such an event will rend on the health of our democracy&#8230 if it comes to pass, I’ll be too depressed to get out of bed on 03 Nov.