Something unusual happened to me the other night. After publishing the Morning Briefing at around 3 AM EDT, I was exhausted and couldn't wait to get to sleep. I began drifting off rather quickly, but then my meandering brain began to think about the upcoming election. I was then wide awake, pondering the consequences of a Kamala Harris presidency.
It was odd for a couple of reasons. The first is that I don't think or talk about politics when I'm done with work. It's as if there is a shut-off valve in my brain for that. It's been that way for a long time. The second is that, on the rare occasions that a thought about politics hits me during the off hours, it doesn't bother me to the point of sleeplessness. It flits about my brain for a few moments, then it's gone.
This election is different though, isn't it? Even a mostly dead inside guy like me can still be hit with the occasional pang of existential dread. My preferred mechanisms for powering through them still work, it's just that I have to use them more often, especially now that we are in the homestretch leading up to Election Day.
There is a heaviness to politics in the best of times. The deep divide that mainstream media hacks like to portray as unique to the Trump years has actually been plaguing us since the turn of the century. Bush vs. Gore in 2000 turned the Democrats into election deniers and got them more focused than ever on what kind of un-American anomalies they could brew up in their election interference witches cauldron.
At that same time, the Democrats began undergoing a radical ideological makeover, eventually embracing the radical left as its center. Democrats today bear no resemblance whatsoever to the Dems of the late 20th century. Despite being its greatest retail politician ever, the Bill Clinton of 1992 would be run out of today's Democratic Party.
The Dems have gone completely off the commie cliff under Joe Biden and his puppet masters. They don't even put much effort into hiding it anymore.
That's why the stakes are so high in this election. If Kamala Harris is sworn in next January, one of the first things she's going to do is put the original Constitution into a paper shredder.
Pondering that is enough to get anyone down.
Now is not the time for that, however. It's important to remember that the Democrats are operating from a commie playbook and and want to demoralize us. It's an effective way to weaken an opponent. It is equally important to frequently remind ourselves that that's what they are trying to do. There are so many moving parts to this particular election that it's easy to lose sight of the fact that we're playing into their hands every time we start rending our garments over the election that hasn't happened yet.
At this point in this election cycle, there is no reason for Republicans to be panicking or despairing. I always caution against irrational optimism and cockiness; now I'm warning everyone off of needless anxiety.
On Tuesday, my HotAir colleague David Strom wrote about new numbers from Gallup that should ease Republican heartburn:
Gallup's latest numbers, released today, make that very clear. The voters are more confident in Republicans than Democrats, and worry about the state of the country and the world. This is not a "don't worry, be happy" but rather a "Flight 93" election.
Here's more on that:
Gallup track record is pretty scarily accurate on the national popular vote by tracking PARTY ID/LEAN... and look at what they predict for this election:
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) September 24, 2024
🔵 2008: D+8 (Obama+7.2)
🔵 2012: D+4 (Obama+3.9)
🔵 2016: D+3 (Clinton+2.1)
🔵 2020: D+5 (Biden+4.5)
🔴 2024: R+3 (?)
Just… pic.twitter.com/9mQnHRBDs8
Thus far in this election, the encouraging signs for Republicans have all been about Trump's strength in the Electoral College. Now the popular vote may be in play. Yeah, it's a long shot because of California, but it's still a shot.
This is definitely not a time for long faces on the Right.
It took me many years to learn how to not let the present moment be tainted or ruined by by concerns — valid or invalid — about what might happen. It's very liberating once you get the hang of it. We can be vigilant rather than discouraged. I'm still reminding myself and everyone else that there is a long way to go:
The next six weeks are going to be the longest seven years of my life.
— SFK (@stephenkruiser) September 25, 2024
That means we still have plenty of time to work and help get Donald Trump across the finish line.
One thing is certain at the moment: there is absolutely no reason for paralyzing melancholy. The better mood you're in, the worse the commies feel.
Click the button below to get the Morning Briefing emailed to you every weekday. Have your coffee with me, people. It's free and it supports conservative media!
Join the conversation as a VIP Member