This is Gonna Be a Blowout

All of my earlier fears of a repeat of the 2000 and 2004 elections are hereby revoked. This is not the same Democratic candidate. This race won't even be close. I realize that the Republicans most likely don't want to win this one, and are throroughly on the ropes after the disastrous Bush/Cheney era, but still, there won't be any way to spin the losses come November. We're going to see Democratic wins across the board.

As always, take the latest Gallup polls with a grain of salt. These are only snapshots of the current moment, and you should know by now how swiftly politics can change. But I remain optimistic about Obama winning the White House, and winning it handily. We've got all the momentum, and all the energy, and all the ideas. The other side has to defend the worst President in American history. The Torture President. The Permanent War President. That's one hell of a legacy to defend.

So that's my take on things right now. I'm calling this race a blowout. I realize that at age 35, I'm still a bit young to make these sort of pronouncements, but John McCain is easily the worst Presidential candidate of my lifetime. And Barack Obama may just be the best. I think we're finally seeing the fruits of all our hard work, building up the netroots, building our communities, growing our many social and political movements. The 2006 midterms saw the first fruits of our labor, and the momentum is going to carry through to 2008. We're witnessing something that happens only once every 40 years - a paradigm shift in American politics.

I would't say just yet that the paradigm shift automatically means a return to the Progressive Golden Age. I don't expect this to be the second coming of JFK or FDR. It will be different, just as our world is different in the new century. But I am certain that America's love affair with the Conservative Movement has ended. The thrill is gone, and has been for many years, if the truth were known. The only thing that ever really propped up Bush was 9/11. And we all see where that got us.

Let's not rest on our laurels, kids. We've got a lot of work to do. Let's all do our part.