Relax (a bit). Stop and smell the roses (for a moment).

[Silent3]

Let me start with this important disclaimer: We always have to fight like we're coming up from behind, no matter what. I'd never recommend relaxing so much we take winning for granted.

That said, we're sittin' mighty pretty right now. :)

Start by looking at the voter turnout numbers. Democrats, and Independents supporting Democrats, are turning out at the polls almost 2-to-1 compared to Republicans.

Republican members of Congress are deciding, in curiously high numbers compared to Democratic members, that the time has come to spend more quality time at home with their families, or to pursue business opportunities, instead of running for re-election.

We have two great candidates vying for our party's nomination right now. Despite the DU rhetoric, most Democrats and many independents think either Clinton or Obama are decent choices, and while they may have a favorite, they're pretty happy with both choices. We don't have a clear nominee yet because we're in the enviable position of struggling between those two good choices.

The Republicans, however, are far more deeply divided. While they've arrived at an apparent nominee sooner -- McCain -- that's more because of winner-takes-all delegate apportionment, and McCain winning big Blue States in which he has little chance of winning in the Fall. The alliance of fiscal conservatives and religious conservatives and xenophobes and "terrorphobes" is coming apart at the seams. DU is NOT representative of the real world. Real-world Democrats aren't anywhere near as fractious or contentious as real-world Republicans are right now.

Democrats will, in large numbers, rally behind our eventual nominee. Republicans -- despite the fear many of you have that they have some magic ability to get it together when they need to -- simply aren't in the rallying mood these days. As much as many of them despise Clinton -- and as much as they almost certainly WILL despise Obama if he wins the nomination, by time November rolls around, by which time the Right Wing Noise Machine will have them thoroughly convinced that Obama is a baby-eating terrorist -- many of the may already hate McCain more, and they'll be convinced by November he's a Vietnamese version of the Manchurian Candidate. (That meme is already out there!)

I'm feeling pretty damn certain that when November rolls around, there will be many dispirited, disgusted Republican voters who'll just be staying home on election day. The one thing that would get them out in big numbers -- and no, it's not Hillary -- would be even better: The Religious Right creates their own third party, bat-shit crazy fundy candidate to split the Republican vote. (I'd don't think that's too likely, but a man can dream! ;) )

Democrats, on the other hand, and Independents sick of the Republican mess, will turn out in DROVES this November, just like they have done for the primaries.

[sallyseven]

1. Sanity in a sea of bigotry and sexism.

Your right. They know better but yet panic.

[Silent3]

2. I understand why people are jumpy and panicky...

...after the way the elections went in 2000 and 2004. I think all the angst is a defensive mechanism, people being so afraid of being burned and let down again.

But if you take a moment to look around at where we are now, it's a whole different electoral environment for Democrats now, and things are really looking damned good for us I think.

[Meshuga]

3. Good luck!

I agree with like many people here probably agree with you as well. But the people who really need to "relax, stop, and smell the roses" are not interested in doing that. However, you plea for more sanity is not only welcome but also recommended. :-)

[Silent3]

4. I know DU isn't really a stop-and-smell-the-roses kind of place, it's...

...more of a gnashing-of-teeth venue. :) Still, I figure it couldn't hurt to try to inject a little calm and optimism into the process.