Oh, that long night before...

Top Five Night Befores, in Ascending Order:

5) December 4, 2001, the night before I turned 21. For obvious reasons.

4) Any night before I was going to Disneyland between the years 1986 and 1992.

3) August 16, 1998, the night before I left home for college.

2) January 3, 2004, the night before I got married.

1) November 1, 2004, the night before tomorrow, possibly the most stressful and certainly the most anticipated election day I have ever witnessed.

48% to 47%, with a 3% margin for error.

I mean holy shit, do they want to give us all heart attacks?

Here's the truth. On this night before, I still have not made up my mind. I really, really want to be satisfied with my decision to vote for Bush, but there's this lurking uncertainty in the back of my mind. It has a lot to do with Halliburton, assorted conspiracy theories, a dislike for arrogant Republicans in general, and about six or seven other things that I already decided didn't merit a rational desicion. But they're still there...

I'm not convinced Kerry would be the better choice. I'm pro-life; he's not; that seems pretty clear. I don't like his wife. I don't particularily trust him. But somehow there is this nagging feeling that a vote for Bush will be a huge mistake.

I think it has a lot to do with living in a pretty liberal area, and being inandated with anti-Bush sentiment on a continual basis. It's easy to shrug it off for a bit, but after a while the slogans start sticking, and you start thinking "What if they're right? What if he is a big moron? What if he is just pandering to the interests of corrupt corporations? What if he is crazy?"

I'm sure he's not crazy, though he might be pandering to corrupt corporate interests, and he can be a bit moronic sometimes. I think what it comes down to is I have never felt so much riding on a choice that I just can't make. There seems to be an extreme urgency to this election, and for once, my opionated nature isn't quite coming through. I'll probably end up voting for Bush. But, as a certain uncle says.. "It'll be our secret..."

All that to say, it will be a long night before. Good luck gentlemen. May our individual choices be dispassionate, rational, and informed. And let us swear never to apply bumper stickers reading "Don't Blame Me, I Voted for Nader" to our gasoline burning vehicles.

See you on the other side of Nov. 2, 2004.