Sunday, November 25, 2012
FILLING THE HOLE
I have had a bit of a withdrawal experience with the ending of the election.
All those months of polls and watching the GOoPers destroy themselves.
The runup. The debates. The worries.
Then the election itself and the aftermath. The Romney watching.
It is all over.
Ended.
Fini!
I am relieved but it is amazing to find how much time I was spending each day poring over the websites, the blogs, the polling numbers.
Now there is a big vacant spot. A hole.
I realize there are a few things that I had been neglecting.
The blog is one.
I usually lose some people as this gets more political.
I have missed reading. Books. Fiction. Enough "reality" if there is any in politics.
I am now reading up to an hour more a day and happy to be doing it.
I have found a couple of authors to annoint as my current favorites. I will read all their stuff.
I am taking longer walks with Booker, not worried about missing something on the web or whatever.
Life is sweeter and less edgy.
I was not as stressed this time as the recent past.
In 2000, I actually got sick over Gore's loss. I had to get meds for irritable bowel syndrome. I vowed not to let that happen again.
In 2004, I had ato admit that I was not as big a fan of Kerry as I should have been. I was way critical of my party for turning it into a money game. I didn't want a second Bush term but I never really thought we had a winner.
The 2008 election started early. That was the one where we had the primary to end all primaries. Barack and Hillary.
I switched from Hillary mid primary. I didn't like the Clintonian bullshit. I was worried about Obama, he seemed to green. "Callow" was a word I used with a friend. But then he caught me. I read his books. I listened to him speak and I started working for him and giving.
Then, the general election. McCain and Palin. The perfect villains.
The inaugural was just incredibly exciting. (As this one cannot be I know)
Romney was not the perfect villain. He was a sad and scary leftover from the GOoPer wars. For awhile there, it seemed he might actually win but I never really believed it. With Nate Silver and Sam Wang at my side, I exuded confidence to other Demos who were, as usual, worried sick. I scoffed at over confident republicans.
It was still a big win. A big and exciting experience to see my expectations realized. In the numbers!
What now? Second terms tend downward in the second half. There are the beginnings of the new candidate feelers.
There is no one that I am interested in just now. Time will tell.
In the meantime, fill the hole. The election cycle will catch up with me sooner or later.
