You give me fever

I know. I have a funny habit of disappearing for a while from my little blog here. I wish I could say it's because I've been busy saving the world; actually, I just occasionally run into a writer's block, and I can't organize my thoughts. That, and I have nothing truly interesting to say. I suppose the only remedy for that is just to start writing again.

My post today is a confession. I confess that I have been struck with - as my new favorite late night talk show host Craig Ferguson would say - serious Election Fever. People, my current Election Fever is running at about 104 degrees. I am obsessed with this election. It's just been so exciting, so heated, so historic, and so freakin' LONG. For some, the sheer length has caused them to burn out, but not for me. It has only exacerbated my fever. I cannot WAIT until election day. It could be either the highlight or the low point of my entire year. I will possibly be in bed for two weeks following election day just to recover from the excitement.

You know, I have always found elections exhilarating. It's an exciting thing to be able to elect people to office. You hear their speeches, you watch their ads, and then, you decide. Well, ok, there's the electoral vote thing. And I do have a beef with this two party system, but still. Nobody's going anywhere until we go to the polls. And you never know how it's going to turn out until all the votes are counted. I'm like that character Kristen Wiig plays on SNL who cannot contain her excitement for surprises. Excuse me while I go jump through this glass door.

On a serious note, we cannot ignore or take for granted what is really at stake in this election. I'm not just talking about the economy going down the proverbial pipes, or the several wars we're waging around the world, or the ruined reputation we need to recover internationally, or even the crumbling bridges and schools in our own country. These problems will challenge the new President, no doubt. What is really at stake is whether we can elect an African American to the highest office. Much of the living American population remembers segregation, riots, and a hateful, dark chapter of our recent history. If we can put a black man in the Oval Office 45 years after MLK's "I Have a Dream" speech and 44 years after the Civil Rights Amendment, we can send a powerful message of progress into the world. We saw it in South Africa, and now we can do it in America.

The truly positive aspect of this possibility is that we don't have to vote for Obama because he is black, but because he happens to be the best candidate. I believe he has the best ideas for health care, economic recovery, and foreign policy, and I think his youth, intelligence, and even temperament are important qualities for this position. Obama is the one who has persisted despite arguments about his experience, despite his lack of insider connections, despite so many obstacles. He has been a steam roller for about two years in his run for President, and he has stuck to the issues and never been ruffled or lost his cool. (Almost like a non-violent protestor.) I don't mean to deify the guy; I know he's not the Second Coming, nor is he MLK. He is not perfect. He is just one man, and he wants this job. However, he has easily won all three debates. He has made a smart choice of running mate. He has run a well-organized campaign. There is no doubt that he can be President, and he will most likely be a good President. But what will happen?

We will not know until we cast our votes. And by casting a vote on November 4, we will be part of making history.

I'm so freakin' excited!