Be Ye Not Dismayed

I wrote this four year ago and it applies as much today as then. Substitute Trump for Romney and Hillary for Obama and the rest can pretty much stand. Also I’ve already voted so the “voting today” part is untrue. Worry not about the latest alleged scandal. All will work out.

 

BE YE NOT DISMAYED

As we follow the Polls and their inevitable ebbs and flows. There is a tendency among some to be ultra concerned about each individual result. I listened to pundits freaking out in different directions based on a single poll showing President Obama and Mitt Romney tied in Ohio. The same pundits went into frenzy about a different poll showing Obama ahead in Virginia by 4 points when they were prepared to give that state to Romney.

The truth is that whatever your news source, especially if it be television. The talking heads likely have more time available to say a thing than they have important things to say. Depending on the source (MSNBC and Fox News can both be guilty) you may have people attempting to skew the information to suggest a particular outcome. Some will have people with opposite views talking over each other as if the loudest point of view is somehow correct.

Your own common sense is as likely to be correct as those paid to tell you what your opinion should be. My personal favorite is Harold Ford, Jr. who never fails to provide two opinions to every question and if challenged will run from his own views, even in mid-sentence. Recognize that we are mostly fed opinions more so than facts. And if you’ve taken the time to review the candidates and issues, yours is better because you’re the one voting.

In my personal opinion. President Obama is marching steadily towards victory as he continues banking early votes in the swing states and the alleged Romney momentum is a thing of the past. There is a reason that the Republicans worked hard to suppress the vote thru onerous Voter ID laws and reduction of early voting. In battles they for the most part lost (at least for this election cycle). They were unable to stop Democratic leaning voters from getting to the polls and turnout has exceeded expectations so far and feedback indicates they’re voting overwhelmingly to re-elect the President.

Talk of momentum, trends, national polls and enthusiasm are all meaningless when compared to the votes cast and their impact on the swing states that matter. My President has so many more options than Romney to win the election that the only way he can win is to convince those of us that would vote for Obama that he’ll win and your vote won’t matter, causing you to stay home.

So today I’ll vote (literally today). And I’ll sleep with confidence as I know the results (actual votes cast as opposed to opinions) are much more important than chatter.