Scare Tactics

I’ll try to keep my rant to a minimum but I will preface my concern with this: if you are an Obama supporter, you must show up at the polls on Tuesday November 4th and vote, long line and all. Heck, if I can stand in a line in the dark, cold, rain for a sale at Wal-Mart after Thanksgiving, I sure can stand in a line to vote for the next president of the United States!

Anyway, I say all that to say, yes Obama is in the lead but what really counts is if all his supporters show up and vote. And democrat supporters aren’t as fierce as the republican supporters. And these republican supporters have no problem with speaking out for their McCain/Palin ticket, even if some of the things they say are angry and racist. He’s been called everything from “that one” to a socialist and he’s taken it all in stride.

He’s facing threats against his life and his fans have faced false charges of assault (less we forget the moron who made up the claim that a ‘b’ was carved in her face by Obama supporters to the two skin heads plotting to take him along with 100 other black people out, to the man whose Obama/Biden sign was defaced in front of his home).

This election should transcend race but in the face of a possible win for Obama, the fight has changed and some people are grasping at their most basic weapons- hate. McCain alleged he would fight a clean campaign but he hasn’t encouraged his supporters to nor has he done so himself. And perhaps Obama will pull out all the stops in his thirty minute segment tomorrow on TV, no one’s perfect but some of these attacks against him are a little personal and unfounded. Showing some republicans can’t hold it together when the chips are down. Obama’s cool demeanor is admirable and had McCain had such a demeanor and his supporters as well, perhaps he might be doing better (that and if he actually chose a running mate that had some weight outside of being a fashion icon- I must admit her wardrobe rocks, but she’s not running for Ms. America).

And before us Obama supporters get too comfortable, remember Bush v. Gore, Obama needs to have that electoral vote (which so far he has) apparently the popular vote isn’t enough. And then there is the media’s hype that some Obama supporters, particularly white supporters, might get stage or rather vote fright and decide they really just can’t vote for a black man. I’d really like to think better of us. If America is still stuck on this mentality I’m not sure we can really grow for the better but this election will surely help define where we’ve gone or not gone in our race relations.

Finally, all the hype about the long lines (in some places people waited up to 9 hours!) to vote, don’t get scared off- pack a back pack with some necessities, tag team and go with some friends and make an event of it- just go and do what you gotta do. I have no plans on waiting out there that long to vote but you better believe I will if I’m surprised and my usually tame voting site has a line a mile long. I’ll call my job and tell them I’ll see ‘em when I see ‘em!

As an aside- I haven’t seen them yet but am very pleased to see that Comedy Central has given David Allen Grier his own Daily Show type series Chocolate News and CNN (wow!) gave D.L. Hugely his own version called D.L. Hugely Breaks the News. Reviews for both are mixed but I’ll have to take some time to watch them both and check them out. If you’ve seen either let me know!