What's with all the GLOOM and DOOM threads?

[Shoonra]

44. TALKING TO OURSELVES

Yes, I hate the gloom and doom talk as well. I write this on the Saturday before Election Day and, frankly, the election is up in the air. A dozen (or a thousand) indicators but not altogether clear nor altogether relevant. The spread of cable TV and the internet has made many of the old reliable indicators obsolete.

One big mistake that I learned from bitter experience is partisans talking too much among themselves, each of them blowing sunshine up the other's bloomers. They have unrealistic (and usually over-optimistic) expectations that crash and burn in the reality of the ballot box numbers.

Among the various details I consider significant: (1) Too many (maybe most) Democratic candidates are trying to avoid any connection to Obama, and in some instances actually attacking him. Compare this with Republicans uniformly attacking him in the strongest possible terms. If I was presented with two candidates who both oppose Obama then wouldn't I opt for the one who was so much more enthusiastic about hating him?
(2) Democrats discussing the theoretical effect of the wisdom of avoiding a Republican majority in Congress, compared with Republicans declaring that voting Democratic will bring on the wrath of God.
(3) Complete obsfucation of the true present condition of the economy -- the Republicans lie about it and the Democrats cannot seem to explain it convincingly (and without being boring).
(4) Some potential voters have been so turned off by the nasty and negative campaigning that they have decided not to vote -- which, of course, plays into the hands of the people who have been the most nasty and negative.

I am going to vote on Tuesday. I will stand in the cold for maybe an hour. Other people aren't willing to do that - but they'll stand outside the Walmart all night on Thanksgiving to be the first to grab bargains on Black Friday.