Following will be a question that I probably do not need to ask at this particular site, but I'm curious.
I am something of a political newbie. When I was in school, I had more important things to worry about--or, at least, that's the way it seemed to me. I first started paying attention, really, during the 2000 race, where I was constantly amazed that George W. Bush was actually taken seriously. I could not understand why he wasn't being laughed off stage at every available opportunity. I could tell, however, that he might be a genuine threat. I wanted to vote Nader that year. I didn't think he was perfect, but and I did not feel that there were no differences between Gore and Bush. I just liked Nader better/ However, keeping Bush out of the White House became more important to me, so I voted fro Gore, and sat by in a state of constant shock as I watched the election play out. This is when I started paying attention.
September 11th made me pay a bit more attention--not because I was shocked into caring, but because I became immediately concerned about the potential wave of hate-crimes that might follow--my parents, many years ago, essentially adopted three sisters who, while born and bred Americans, are of Pakistani blood. Even though I was basically out of the house by the time they came to live with my parents, and I didn't know them very well, I still felt an immediate concern for their safety. I wrote a few letters to the Star Tribune, my local paper (none published, sadly) on the subject, and started reading the newspaper from time to time. Still, I wasn't reading it every day.
I have been reading the paper nearly every day, as well as spending a good deal of time listening to NRP, since the death of Paul Wellstone (which does mean I'm from Minnesota, if anyone cares. Minneapolis, actually, and not a suburb, either).
I couldn't say why that event seemed more significant to me, but it did. The "why" is irrelevent, however. My basic point is that I'm somewhat new to this. Still, this election seems unusually large to me. This election seems like it could very easily have a substantial impact on the next twenty to thirty years of my life because of badly botched foreign policies, ruined human rights, destroyed environmental regulations, and horrid economic failures (and anything else you feel needs to be added. I'm tired and not entirely sober, so this list is almost certainly incomplete).
So, my question is this: Is this election as big as it seems to be to newbies, or is every election this tense, and some of us just haven't been in a position to care?
Also (and this is the question that I don't think really needs to be asked, but I'm curious), as of right now, how many of you think we will (not can, but will win in 2004?