This coming election has always worried me. Much worries me. Will the youth vote materialize? Will independents think? And on and on.
I have reached a saturation point where I am no longer sleeping at night.
What keeps me awake? The stress of 2012 and its ramifications for all of us.
The stress that haunts me is losing this election to a Romney, an empty vessel to be filled with whatever the powers that be wish; an empty vessel who so loves the power of the presidency, that he will say, do, believe, sign anything to keep happy his money lords for whom he exists.
And the plan for his election has been laid.
First, the big money is in PACS, and we know Rommey has more than the President's. This is going to make a difference when Romney runs negative ad after negative ad. These ads, true or not, will have influence on a number of voters.
Yes, there are those whose hatred of Obama will drive them to vote for anyone but him. So when Rommey's unfavorables are discussed, it won't matter to a segment of true Obama haters.
Then there are those who simply will vote for any white man over a black man. I do believe these people exist. They simply cannot fathom a black man in the White House. So they try everything they can to discredit him. From birth certificates and on and on.
Second, and this scares me the most; and therefore adds to my stress the most. The media in this country no longer reports the facts. And they themselves are driven by their corporate masters to spout the rhetoric we, the people, are supposed to let sink into our brains.
When Arthur Brisbane of the New York Times comments about vetting Obama; when Brisbane asks the question: " who is the real Barack Obama?" then we are in deep trouble.
When Democratic purists, whether they have a point or not, do not understand how their views can undermine votes, we are in deep trouble.
When so many people cannot or refuse to acknowledge the differences between the Parties' beliefs, we are in deep trouble.
When our media personalities refuse to call out the lies coming from the mouths of candidates; when they resort to the "both sides do it" meme, we are in deep trouble.
When the Martin Beshert ( sp. ) are ignored for the oh, so considered knowledgable Chuck Todd, we have lost the media battle.
Scouring other Democratic sites helps me understand I am not alone in believing the control of the White House and Congress by Republicans will utterly change this country for centuries. But it doesn't help my anxieties and stress.
A good friend, politically savvy, now deceased, told me during the Reagan campaign that the conservatives had a long time plan for this country. And they had the money and stamina to wait it out until they get what they want. And what they want is complete control; and once they get it, disguise it as true democracy, the United States as we know it will cease to exist. I used to laugh at her. I am not laughing anymore.
The right wing conservatives' outrage at the election of Barack Obama has made them all the more sure that their vision of a "true" America needs to be sped up. Hence, we see all the crazy State laws, etc. But they do not want to stop there. They want the whole ball of wax.
And what stresses me out is that they just may be poised to get it. And the only people who will feel as stressed as I, are those who are informed and think. The majority of Americans will make do with the scraps they get, believing that if they wave the flag hard enough, this country will still be exceptional.
Finally, although at 65 I can retire, I fear that there will be no health care provided. I fear that my one year old grandson will grow up in a world devoid of education, devoid of open minds. I fear his world view will be as narrow and substance less as we see from our media and so-called political pundits.
So I am stuck with this stress, which continuously gets worse and seems ever so slowly to be turning to real fear.