It has been a long week.With an incumbent who refuses to tell the truth, we’ve faced three days of knuckle-biting so far and each day stirs up the butterflies of election day.How we could’ve become a nation that is so easily duped into following a man who’s told a record number of bald-faced lies in the West Wing (and anywhere he appears, in fact) is an inscrutable mystery.I guess many people don’t read.Or think critically.This should’ve been barely a contest at all.The Associated Press national map is seared into my eyeballs like a computer monitor left on the same page too long without a screen saver.Going back every few minutes to check for a touch more blue.A sign of hope.Meanwhile, 45 is doing his best to prevent votes already cast from being counted.
We’re a nation under extreme stress.Whoever wins will need to bring deeply divided people back together, but here’s the rub.We know from four years of terrible first-hand experience that Trump can’t do it.Won’t even try.He’s already compared himself to the greatest leaders we’ve ever had.He has no reason, and no capacity to change.Joe Biden is about as mild a Democrat as they come.In saner times he’d likely have been considered a closet Republican.Still, 45’s supporters rail as if he’s some socialist seeking to overturn the American system.Excuse me, but look at the past four years—what precisely do you think was overturned during them?The coronavirus rages, hitting record numbers.The response from the White House?Absolutely nothing.
Even with this there’s uncertainty in the air.I wonder what America’s collective blood pressure is right now?I know my systolic doesn’t feel too good.Any legitimate leader would never fear an honest election.One who tries to tamper with the results has already shown his true character.And priorities.And so we wait.Yesterday the lines from V kept going through my head—“Remember, remember, the fifth of November.”I finished the poem somewhat differently but the word “treason” remained.I could use a little fantasy just about now.As I write this the counters are all asleep.Biden leads in the popular vote by almost four million, a greater lead than Hillary had just four years ago.And it is now November 6, but just barely.At least it’s Friday.We need to appreciate the small things as they come.
