My (perhaps paranoid) murmurings concerning the upcoming Presidential election and the fears of yet another stolen election on behalf of the GOP due to the comments of everyone's favorite 'Maverick' (and I say that term with all due sarcasm) John McCain...
This past Sunday, October 26, Senator John McCain appeared on NBC's morning political program "Meet the Press", exactly one week after his long-time friend and fellow Republican, retired General and Secretary of State Colin Powell appeared on the same program in order to endorse his rival, Barack Obama, for President.
Though I'm sure we all where quietly hoping for (another) guffaw moment in which McCain would make (another) major blunder and provide more damage to his floundering campaign, the only point of note was in McCain forgetting one of his 5 Republican Secretary of State endorsers names. I mention that all 5 of his Secretary of State endorsements are Republican, because it's worth noting (even though we're all well aware of such) that Colin Powell is the only across-the-aisle endorsement of a former SoS in this election. Frankly, one across-the-aisle endorsement trumps a dozen down-the-party-line ones in my humble opinion...
Anywho, there was one thing said very early on by McSame -- er, I mean, McCain... yeah, yeah, that's what I meant... -- so there was one thing said early on that, for some reason, has just stuck in the back of my mind like a bug-bite you can't reach to scratch. So I sat down tonight and re-watched the beginning of the talking-points-only-response interview, and it finally occurred to me why that particular something had been nagging at me.
http://www.youtube.com/...
McCain: Your going to be up very, very late on election night.
This comment doesn't seem like very much to be bothered about, does it? It's very easily dismissed as a denial of reality, of a candidate trying to keep the faith of his base alive. The polls show that it's wishful thinking on behalf of McCain, as the news networks themselves are concerned over just how quickly this election could be over on election night. Most of the networks are concerned over calling it too early, around 7:00 PM Eastern Time, when some of the polls close. Yet this comment is something that's been bugging the hell out of me. The reason why is McCain's similar, if jovial comments at the Alfred E. Smith dinner 10 days earlier.
http://www.youtube.com/...
McCain: You know, it's going to be a long, long night at MSNBC if I manage to pull this thing off.
So...
Two comments. Both easily, easily dismissed as a joke and a candidates defiance. Both insignificant in the grand scheme of things. Both... when combined... bugging the hell out of me. Because even through the easy dismissals, the memories of the 2000 and 2004 elections just keep coming back to haunt me like bad clams, again and again. And the question keeps coming back to my mind, keeps being triggered by my caution and, yes, perhaps paranoia...
...Are they (The GOP, the Republicans, the Right-Wing) going to, once again, try and steal the Presidency?
...Is McCain actually daring to hint at the suggestion of such under the guise of these easily dismissed self-assured comments?
It sounds ridiculous. Even to me as I write it out. It's just paranoia, I keep telling myself. We've been so close, twice before, and had things stolen at the last possible second, twice before, that as the day grows nearer, my paranoia grows stronger. They can't steal it this time, I keep telling myself. So many polls, not the rather unimportant national ones, but so many battleground state polls show Obama perched to take this election home with a landslide mandate the likes of which haven't been seen in decades.
...And yet... these are Republicans we're talking about.
These people, this party, has played the dirtiest of the dirty political games. They're notorious for it. They idolize the demons like Karl Rove who've mastered it into a pseudo art. They have no morals, no ethics, when it comes to victory. They are mad with greed and power and the self-righteous belief in their own superiority. They've done whatever it's taken to win so many times before, they've stolen the election in blatant fashion these past two terms...
...What's really to stop them from doing it again? From doing it now?
Granted, we have a candidate like none other. A strong candidate that people are enthusiastic about. Hell, even those who hate him are enthusiastic in their hatred! He has run a flawless campaign. The economy is in the tank, and the people are furious at the Republicans who have put it there. The people want change. The polls say so time and time again and have for weeks. The Obama events that draw crowds of 50, 75, 100,000 people in traditionally red states like Colorado and Missouri are hard evidence of the desire for change.
Does any of that matter, though, when facing the Republicans?
Is It Still Paranoia When They ARE Out to Get Us?
By the gods, I hope so...