If there's one thing I'm getting sick of in punditworld, blogworld and diaryworld, it's the persistent panic reflex us Dems seem to have. Someone yells at us on the playground and we scatter like frightened mice.
We trot out the latest polls on a DAILY basis, then hem and haw about What They Might Possibly Mean. We wring our hands and whine about every single comment made in the surreal world of the Mainstream Media. We overlook the incredible successes Obama has already achieved thus far (like defeating Hillary in the primaries, building a true grassroots movement, massive small donor base, winning over Europe, etc. etc. etc.) and all as a black man in America.
I think we should all take a deep breath.
I remember back in January when our blessed opinion polls had Obama in the mid 20's and Hillary in the mid 40's. Lo and behold, because of our concentrated efforts, our generous financial support, our tireless volunteer work and one stellar candidate, the early polls didn't at all predict what the final tally would be. Now he is our nominee. Not presumptive. He is the nominee. Period. And we have three long months to go in the campaign.
Yes, the MSM would like to portray this race as a dead heat right up until November, as it is in their financial interest to do so. But that doesn't mean we should ignore reality.
Once the conventions start, and Obama walks on stage at a packed Invesco Field full of 75,000 fired up Yes-We-Cans to accept the nomination of our party (making history, by the way), it will be his election to lose. We'll hear the inspiring speeches we know he can give, the party will rally around its nominee, the media will heap praise, and we'll be off towards the finish line.
A week later, McCain will meet in front of an anemic crowd of milquetoast supporters, struggling to fill the venue, and if history is any judge, he'll offer some tired platitudes in front of a lime jello backdrop - and he'll flub the delivery.
Then Obama and astute manager Plouffe will open the war chest they've amassed and buy ads in battleground states until the cows come home. McCain will target specifically states he thinks he can hold on to instead of states he thinks he can challenge in, because his funds will be limited, and he knows few of the swing states are likely to swing his way. He'll play defense in the South and in his own home state of Arizona.
The massive 50 state voter registration drive will bear instant fruit as college campuses start up a new year and throngs of new young voters enter the demographic.
I could go on and on. I read these diaries and posts and I want to reassure my progressive friends that we, as voters, don't need to micromanage Obama's campaign. He's doing just fine.
YES, we still have work to do.
NO, we can't take anything for granted.
YES, we can (and will) win this thing.