Embrace change, whatever the outcome

I've got some bad news. It's about your candidate.

Let me put this gently: there's a very good chance that whoever you're voting for this year might not win.

I know, it's scary. That other guy? He totally opposes everything you stand for. He might even put those people in charge. You know the ones I'm talking about. The ones who give you mean looks whenever you're driving around and they see your bumper stickers. Yeah, those people.

Does it really matter who I'm talking about? Depending on which dude you're voting for in the coming weeks, you probably took that paragraph with a grain of salt.

Like most people, I'm getting pretty sick and tired of all the negativity being thrown around in this campaign. On one side, we hear jokes making fun of how old McCain is and how it Depends® whether or not he'll be a good leader. On the other, jokes about how Obama makes a better cocktail companion than a leader are being slung around.

Either way, it's just a lot of trash talking or an attempt to hide everyone's fears of "the other."

Back in 2000, I was too young to vote in the election, but I supported Al Gore. When he lost, he fought to prove the Electoral College swayed the vote away from what the people and the government both wanted. Supporters of Bush coined the phrase "Sore/Loserman 2000," suggesting that there was no truth to the accusations and portraying Gore and Lieberman as a muttering bunch of sour grapes. Ironically, Lieberman later revealed himself as a true Republican.

In the 2004 election, worries over being seen as another Al Gore caused Kerry and Edwards to immediately concede the election to Bush instead of fighting for recounts in swing states.

But this year, it seems we're not even waiting for polling to be over to begin the polarization that usually occurs after Election Day.

From slashed tires at Obama rallies and a made-up charge of assault from a McCain supporter in Pennsylvania, to accusations of racism and thievery against McCain supporters-- it seems impossible for either side to admit that the other side might, just might, support their candidate for reasons other than race.

I encourage readers to try a little exercise I've been doing the past couple weeks. Close your eyes, take a few breaths and think, "My candidate might not win."

It's scary at first - you imagine cities burning, women and children lamenting in the streets, aliens attacking us in our most vulnerable state. Let me assure you: that won't happen.

What can, and has, happened, is: you'll be disappointed, your President will do things that you don't think are right and you'll probably have to scrape your McCain/Obama '08 sticker off your car the next morning with a bit of a chip on your shoulder.

So, in the spirit of this great "democracy" thing I keep hearing so much about: Don't let this election keep bringing out the worst in us. From Ashley Todd to celebrity endorsements, we've already been swimming in you-know-what for quite a while, but we have to admit to ourselves that we might not win this time.

What can win is our ability to think, feel and act in a sympathetic manner. Don't be a poor winner, and don't have sour grapes on Nov. 5. If you don't like your new President, then get more involved in local and national politics. Amazingly enough, we elect more than just the President in November, and casting your vote for a politician who represents your ideals can be done every year, from members of the local school board to justices.

This election is being billed as one of the most important elections in history, and like every single other most important election is history, it's turning brother against brother.

So, as I've been trying to do myself (despite my own bumper stickers, which I'll scrape off Nov. 5 regardless of who wins), I think it's important that we all take a deep breath and remember, "It's not the end of the world."

That is, unless Palin ends up being President. Just kidding.

This writer can be contacted at opinion@theeastcarolinian.com.