Oh Carla...HUGS

In all these long weeks and months, I've kept myself to very cautious optimism. The last eight years have been too awful, too scary, too unreal to feel hope that we can change this path our nation has been on (where are we going and why are we in this handbasket?). And yet, this morning I'm beginning to feel this wild pins-and-needles feeling of some part of my heart waking up and daring to hope at last. It scares me to admit to this hope, as if just admitting that I feel it will cause the election to go the wrong way. Tremendously silly, I know. But still, it has me close to tears of joy that tomorrow we may wake up to the end of the long nightmare and the beginning of the work to put it right.

This morning, the "audacity of hope" rings true. Cliche' though it may sound, it's a ballsy move for progressives to believe that maybe this is our time.

Progressives have known for a long time this election is not theirs with Kucinich not on the ticket and the prevailing attitude of people claiming to be progressives ignoring Ralph Nader. Nevertheless, I fervently hope that John McCain loses. There is a chance, slight though it may be, Obama will throw us a few crumbs. Right on the issues

I've had the same worry, but think it will turn out right. My bigger fears come later (even putting aside what the skinheads and supremacists might try to do).

• that even with a Democratic president and big majorites in Congress, the Dems will either over reach or not be able to agree on reforms.
• that we might have a repeat of 1976, when Carter didn't get much done with his majority, or 1992, when Clinton squandered his political capital and gave us Newt Gingrich and Tom Delay (and Monica Lewinsky when government services went dark). Or even 1964 (LBJ left an awesome domestic legacy, but also used his mandate to give us the deficit and Vietnam).

Bottom line is that Obama will inherit lots of messes to clean up, and will have to reach across the aisles and govern from the center (or maybe just a hair to the left of center) in order to heal the country, and avoid a backlash.

By now, I suspect the number of Democrats who have voted in Oregon surpasses the total number of registered Republicans, since as of yesterday afternoon, those numbers were pretty close.

I haven't been down to 30th and Division yet today, but I bet the people who are there are calling Ohio, Florida, Virginia, maybe Georgia.

I hear you. I had an attack of paranoia last night. I've been able to keep it in check, but last night it took over. My heart remembers 2004.

Today is much brighter. My mother, who is a poll worker in Idaho just texted, "Big turnout here. Yeah!"

This election really is about one thing for me: chosing love and hope over fear. Today I'm choosing hope.

Open letter to Obama:

Should you be elected President, it must be more than an unprecedented upward career move following a brilliantly unprincipled campaign that spoke “change” yet demonstrated actual obeisance to the concentration power of the “corporate supremacists.” It must be about shifting the power from the few to the many. It must be a White House presided over by a black man who does not turn his back on the downtrodden here and abroad but challenges the forces of greed, dictatorial control of labor, consumers and taxpayers, and the militarization of foreign policy. It must be a White House that is transforming of American politics– opening it up to the public funding of elections (through voluntary approaches)– and allowing smaller candidates to have a chance to be heard on debates and in the fullness of their now restricted civil liberties. Call it a competitive democracy.

Your presidential campaign again and again has demonstrated cowardly stands. “Hope” some say springs eternal.” But not when “reality” consumes it daily.

Of course he's right on the issues so there's no need to be pessimistic.

He - Obama - is? He wants to expand our military misadventure in Afghanistan even though many knowledgeable people have said there is no military solution. And keep bases in Iraq. He groveled before AIPAC letting the supporters of the Likud and Kadima parties know they could continue business as usual even though a majority of people of Jewish heritage in the United States and in Israel have different ideas. His health plan is only a half-baked version of what is needed. He voted for the bailout giving nearly a trillion dollars and the task of resolving the catastrophe to the people who caused the disaster. He ... well you get the idea. If not here is more with cautionary hope.

There is more to do than just wait. The work will go on, probably all night. It's not even near to finished yet.

T.A.: I hope you are right, but unless Obama reverses himself on the positions he has taken I'm afraid you will be proved wrong.

<h2>PS: There should be one progressive consequence if Obama wins. It will very likely encourage more people to be less racist - if he uses some of his power as president to make the lot of the people a little better. That is a challenge he will need to rise to if he wants genuine respect and to be something better than Bill Clinton. I see that as a possibility but not anything I would be the ranch on.</h2>