Into the Final Stretch

September and October will be over before you know it and it will be time to vote. All the smart people are still calling it a close call, but after last night I am sticking to my prediction that Bush will be returned to office with a comfortable margin. There are several reasons that I feel that he will win.

First, the WTC attack galvanized the country into a vision-impaired entity with George Bush as it's leader. In times of crisis the majority of people look for leadership and readily accept whatever passes for leadership at the time. Very soon after that, barring some further catastrophy, they will breathe a collective sigh of relief that they have (or had) the right leader in place at the time, and any cognitive dissonance about having made a poor choice will fade. With the passing of time, leadership takes on an aura of success that is almost spiritual at the core. George W. Bush is the beneficiary of that phenomenon.

Second, in times of crisis people close ranks against what they regard as threats to their interests. Differences of opinion take a lower priority than the need to project a sense of unity. We call this perceived unity "patriotism" and question the motives of anyone who questions the wisdom of such unity. The notion of a "loyal opposition", so essential to democratic principles, is temporarily (it is hoped) abridged. That is where we stand today, with BOTH political parties competing to see which can be seen as more patriotic than the other. Righteous indignation radiates from both sides.

Finally, the only protesters raising any kind of stink are the usual suspects who have been around for decades. I had forgotten about the War Resisters League until they were mentioned a few days ago in some news report. Several reporters talked about communists, anarchists and others from the lunatic fringe of the left...all of whom pop up like flowers after a rain anytime an opportunity is presented. As usual, they are not making converts, nor are they interested in making any. In some way they are the complements to the majority in their own stripe of righteous indignation.

So I come to the conclusion that the pundits are wrong. At the last moment, in the secrecy of the voting booth, enough Americans, with every head bowed and every eye closed, will vote for the president, because they cannot bear the responsibility of changing leadership at what looks like a critical time in our nations's history.

Having said all that, I should make it clear that I am not among those who plan to vote in that manner. Seeing the dynamic does not in any way imply that I approve of or like what is happening. But I am not fool enough to be in denial about what strikes me as reality.