I've had woodpecker fever all week. I've been putting knuckles through Ikea tabletops for days. If you mention Obama, I'm looking to knock some wood. All signs look good, the polls are positive and - knock, knock, knock - Yes We Can!

I bubbled in Obama this morning in a rainy La Jolla garage and plan on holing up in an undisclosed bookstore where the only thing more plentiful than wood to knock on is Pabst Blue Ribbon to knock back.

More than an Obama victory though, I'm looking forward to getting the United States of America and the Constitution back. No gloating and no nose rubbing - just a deep breath before the real work begins. Tomorrow, there might be those on the right who will feel a dread and pit of the stomach sickness that many of us felt following George W. Bush's elections. That unfortunate president demanded eight years of nausea - but I think things will turn out differently for those soured by an Obama victory tonight. Barack Obama has delivered a consistent and insistent message of unity - echoing Lincoln's "House Divided" speech from the moment he announced his candidacy. The electoral map may be re-written tonight, the suffocating red state/blue state mentality will give way to the sort of America that Walt Whitman sang about.

Speaking of Whitman, I hope he, Abraham Lincoln and Martin Luther King are around somewhere to watch the returns come rolling in tonight. Tomorrow it's back to Whitman's America:

Whoever you are, to you endless announcements!

Daughter of the lands did you wait for your poet?
Did you wait for one with a flowing mouth and indicative hand?
Toward the male of the States, and toward the female of the States,
Exulting words, words to Democracy's lands.

Interlink'd, food-yielding lands!
Land of coal and iron! land of gold! land of cotton, sugar, rice!
Land of wheat, beef, pork! land of wool and hemp! land of the apple
and the grape!
Land of the pastoral plains, the grass-fields of the world! land of
those sweet-air'd interminable plateaus!
Land of the herd, the garden, the healthy house of adobie!
Lands where the north-west Columbia winds, and where the south-west
Colorado winds!
Land of the eastern Chesapeake! land of the Delaware!
Land of Ontario, Erie, Huron, Michigan!
Land of the Old Thirteen! Massachusetts land! land of Vermont and
Connecticut!
Land of the ocean shores! land of sierras and peaks!
Land of boatmen and sailors! fishermen's land!
Inextricable lands! the clutch'd together! the passionate ones!
The side by side! the elder and younger brothers! the bony-limb'd!
The great women's land! the feminine! the experienced sisters and
the inexperienced sisters!
Far breath'd land! Arctic braced! Mexican breez'd! the diverse! the
compact!
The Pennsylvanian! the Virginian! the double Carolinian!
O all and each well-loved by me! my intrepid nations! O I at any
rate include you all with perfect love!
I cannot be discharged from you! not from one any sooner than
another!
O death! O for all that, I am yet of you unseen this hour with
irrepressible love,
Walking New England, a friend, a traveler,
Splashing my bare feet in the edge of the summer ripples on
Paumanok's sands,
Crossing the prairies, dwelling again in Chicago, dwelling in every
town,
Observing shows, births, improvements, structures, arts,
Listening to orators and oratresses in public halls,
Of and through the States as during life, each man and woman my
neighbor,
The Louisianian, the Georgian, as near to me, and I as near to him
and her,
The Mississippian and Arkansian yet with me, and I yet with any of
them,
Yet upon the plains west of the spinal river, yet in my house of
adobie,
Yet returning eastward, yet in the Seaside State or in Maryland,
Yet Kanadian cheerily braving the winter, the snow and ice welcome
to me,
Yet a true son either of Maine or of the Granite State, or the
Narragansett Bay State, or the Empire State,
Yet sailing to other shores to annex the same, yet welcoming every
new brother,
Hereby applying these leaves to the new ones from the hour they
unite with the old ones,
Coming among the new ones myself to be their companion and equal,
coming personally to you now,
Enjoining you to acts, characters, spectacles, with me.

- from Starting From Paumanok in Leaves of Grass

I have that moment of panic when the poll worker can't find my name... It happens every time and it always ignites a flash of paranoia... Could I have somehow screwed up and not registered correctly? 

OK, there it is... I'm okay... I get to cast my vote. 

I take my ballot to the cardboard booth and realize that I have a PAPER ballot. I haven't voted on a paper ballot in years and it gives me a primitive sense of control. I'm not at the mercy of any electronic malfunction or punchcards with their evil little tabs. A calm descends on me as I mark concise ovals next to my choices. 

On the way home my husband says he is relieved to have exercised his choice... even feels a reduction of rage over the last eight years.  Me too, I say.

Then I get home and read about all the other states that are having voting problems, machine glitches, cold weather, long lines.  Anxiety crashes over me and I reach for the leftover Halloween candy. It's only 7:46 am and I've already polished off a Snickers, an Almond Joy, a Jolly Roger and a Baby Ruth. Thankfully they are only miniatures, but I still think it's going to be a very long day.

Here is a real world example of a socialist policy and the difficulty that comes in making a reasoned decision between individual liberty and common good. The fire department in nearby Idyllwild, California has hired (no-bid) a San Diego company to make "forced-abatements" on private property within this small mountain community. The forested neighborhood is under the constant threat of wildfire - some overgrown properties increase the threat to the entire community. The San Diego company has the right to clear private property, to make whatever "improvements" they alone deem necessary and to charge the property owner for these "improvements." Failure to pay the "improvement" bill can lead to a lien on the property and the loss of a home. An army of strangers with chainsaws unilaterally "improving" my front lawn would not be welcome. A firestorm whipped up by my neighbor's unkempt yard would not be welcome. Self or society?

"The Tapeworm - A socialist perspective of the capitalist"

The McCain campaign, Fox "News" and other shills for the McCain campaign have joined in a collective spasm over the coming tide of socialism led by Barack Obama.

The flailing about began with Obama's "spread the wealth" comment to Joe the Plumber.  It is a testament to both the desperation of the McCain campaign and the bloodlust of the 24 hour news cycle the last major theme of this election has become a false debate over Socialism versus Capitalism.

I started with Citizen Voices as an unlikely Republican.  Definitely outside their demographics, although I shared many of their professed beliefs.  Smaller government, lower taxes, a preference for individual responsibility over nanny-statism and a goal of success through merit rather than survival through entitlements.  The ideals I valued were those of little-L libertarianism, but without the baggage of the Libertarian Party.

But completing a trend that's steadily progressed over the last eight years, and despite their so-called ideals, I really can't support the Republican Party anymore.  To quote Colin Powell's statement of this last weekend, "I have some concerns about the direction that the party has taken in recent years."  OK, that's putting it mildly, but I will change my registration after this election.

I won't go into every detail of why here, detailing every issue where I believe the Party has abandoned its principles for expediency, and certainly don't reject all the various people commited to public service who still serve under that party's banner.  The list of prominent Republicans featured on the Republicans Against 8 website is a good list of Californians who share the values I described, my values, above despite the party label.

Before visiting family in Ohio this week, I’d assumed this swing state—a battleground for Democrats and Republicans—would be a hothouse of political conversation. After hanging out with native and transplanted Ohioans kind enough to offer me a piece of their minds (with some coaxing and humor), only a few times did conversation turn to national politics.

Here’s what I’m coming away with:

• Nobody’s really thrilled with either candidate, and have very specific problems with voting for either party’s representative.  For instance, the word “entitlement” was offered when discussing Obama’s ideas for the country.  The gist of the conversation concerned taxpayers paying for what others hadn’t earned.  This disdain for entitlement will keep people away from Obama in November, even when voting for McCain isn’t much of a palatable option.  (This seems like a mainstream opinion to me and not one relegated to just Ohioans.  The undecided vote at this point—including in our family an Army couple of two twenty-somethings and their little boy—may not vote at all rather than hold their noses and comply with an amorphous civic duty.)

• Of those who have already decided on a major party candidate, many proudly display their choice with lawn signs and bumper stickers.  Most people who display a preference for president also have several other yard signs for local candidates. 
  

• In small towns like Xenia, Ohio neither Joe Six Packs nor Joe Plumbers are, in fact, obsessed with either their guns or their religion. In the unscientific poll I conducted of the working middle class people living here, there is a certain pride and confidence from attending both Sunday school and keeping a Smith and Wesson (or its general equivalent).  But that pride is a far cry from being small town “hicks” that can’t think or make decisions apart from prevailing community values.

• Illegal immigration is more than a fleeting thought, even in trying economic times in a state not bordering Mexico.  An ambiguous divide exists between being compassionate for people trying to improve their lots on the one hand, and understanding that Americans struggle to do the same thing without breaking the law to do it on the other hand.  (I would argue that although many would say they never break the law to make ends meet, there is still some fringe economic activity, such as pirated entertainment, helping some with tight budgets).

My biggest fear while here has been that Senator Obama’s insult about guns and God will come back to haunt him, and that his words not only struck a chord but then also grew roots.  If I had to guess, I’d say this state goes Red in a few weeks.  I hope this isn’t the case and can’t wait to be proven wrong.

Just in time for Halloween, the legacy of the shiny, happy, shoulder-padded 1980s has come back to haunt the U.S.   Remember the Trickle Down Theory of economics?  (This spooky tale is great, for all those connoisseurs of busted policy theories.)

Once upon a time, a certain high ranking government official -- who just so happened to be a revered conservative -- President Reagan, peddled the idea that the uber rich could and would help the poor.  Aside from putting Robin Hood out of business, the theory helped create a permanent divide between the Left and the Right.  To this day, those who choose to deny the eloquence of Trickle Down are considered Socialists or Communists.  Those who embrace it are true-blue Capitalists or free-market "progressives".

The treat was the public's trust in the aforementioned politician's status as a straight-talking icon who, although governor of California, was still regarded as a Washington outsider and maverick. His ghost haunts 2008 along with his economic plans. The trick in this tale has been played on the working poor and middle-class.  The only way this theory worked was by selling the idea that the collective American goodwill and trust should be placed in big business.

The Trickle Down Theory and its ideological progeny, supply-side or "Voodoo" Economics, might help explain the recent Wall Street and corporate fiascos.  The government's bailouts certainly date back at least as far as the 80s, beginning with the federal government's marketplace participation in helping airlines, and both theories continue to haunt the present. 

And the story developed through the ‘90s.

Today, the economy has unseated the occupations in Iraq and Afghanistan as the most important topic in this year's presidential campaign.  Though the ghost of Vodoo Economics sounds more like "no new taxes," the trick stays the same.  This year, voters should seriously consider the validity of Trickle Down. 

Isn't it time to permanently debunk this tall tale? 

No one besides libertarians actually believes in the ultimate good of individual choices rather than developing ways to work en masse.  But libertarians believe this is an end to itself, not a beneficent plan for helping society.  Compassionate conservatives may not be myth makers but this economic theory ends in more poverty, fewer jobs, and greater mistrust of the businesses government has protected over time.

Sarah Palin seems to be taking a page from the McCarthy era, mixing it with thinly veiled racism, and igniting partisan driven hatred.  Unfortunately for John McCain, surly as he is, her message is actually more testosterone driven than his.   At times, one wonders if she has confused the order of the names on the GOP ticket.

But John McCain aside, her rabble rousing tactics jeopardize the safety of all of us. This behavior, at any time is reprehensible enough, but in the current atmosphere in America, it is obscene. The  economic uncertainty, the ongoing tragedy of the War on Terror, and the threat of growing global unrest make this a fragile chapter in the life of our country, and we had better get our priorities in order.

The divisiveness that Palin has wittingly or unwittingly enflamed with her words will not disappear after November 4th. The coming months are going to test our national sense of ourselves as Americans; spending our days at war with one another is not in our best interest.  Whichever candidate is elected President, his arsenal of skills must include bipartisan team building, and I am not just referring to Congress.

As I reviewed Palin's history in Alaska, she seemed benign enough (if you were not her ex brother-in-law, an environmentalist, or a political rival.) I find it hard to believe she masked all these retrograde political beliefs...she doesn't seem to be much of a reader or deep thinker from all accounts. I wonder if she even understands the historical context of her accusations. Could it be that the Bushies who orchestrated her crash course in politics filled her with some philosophies that suited their agenda, an agenda that had more than just the election in mind?

Getting tagged to talk about the Vice Presidential debate for Citizen Voices presented a bit of a challenge.  What to look for, and what to comment on, in a debate between two people that I don't want to be elected for an office that has little significance other than being the constitutional equivalent of a spare tire.  

Unfortunately that analogy really works for how I view the two major party candidates this year.  On the one hand, we have the old retread who got thrown in the trunk in case he's got a little more life in him.  Functional and tested (and not completely bald), but with three good high-performance whitewalls screaming 'change' as you round the corner at personal-best speeds, using him just kinda blows the image, if not the performance.

On the other hand, you've got the little doughnut tire the manufacturer throws in the car when they're being cheap and saving space.  Untested, but it looks slick.  It'll work, as long as you stay below 45 mph and don't drive in rain, sleet, hail, fog, haze or bright daylight and can get a real tire back on that wheel within a day or two.

Ideally, you never have to use either of them, but realistically you need to have one of them in the trunk ready to go.

The Bush Administration's plans for a speedy bailout of Wall Street seem to have hit a speed bump with a Congress possessing a newly installed spine, or at least a sense of curiosity about what they're being asked to approve. The administration's proponants of the plan are being compared to used-car dealers and there are reactions of disgust and distrust from both parties in both houses of Congress.

Senators McCain and Obama both gave speeches today outlining their problems with the plan. McCain broke his objections down to five points, where Obama focussed on four. I was particularly happy with Senator McCain's insistance that the management of those companies seeking assistance commit to capping their income at the appropriate level for federal employees.

In my view, the problems with the administration's proposals came in two areas. First, their repeatedly inaccurate crying of wolf for the last seven years, has left them with zero credibility. Second, there were no consequences for anyone but the taxpayers.

Fortunately, Congressional ears now seem to finally be resistant to the crying of wolf. Additionally, everyone running for office seems to understand that the consequences of this economic disaster must be laid somewhere, anywhere, but at the feet of the voting taxpayers. Yes, we'll all pay in the long run, whether or not any kind of bailout passes, but Congress seems to understand that we should not be alone.

More on this topic is in a particularly good piece by Washington Post op-ed columnist Eugene Robinson.

Does it make me an elitist if I don't think the ‘average person' should be the vice president of the United States? 

The Palin interview with Charlie Gibson felt like watching a bright undergraduate accidentally show up for a PhD thesis defense: confident posturing, thoroughly rehearsed responses and an overwhelming sense that she has no idea what she is talking about. You can't blame the average citizen for not knowing what is described by the "Bush Doctrine" - but Palin's ignorance was and is astonishing. This is not a spell potato(e?) sized gaffe, it's a dangerous insult to the nation.

And what of the torturous reverse engineering that went into her Abraham Lincoln based explanation of  the  Youtube sermon: "Our national leaders are sending U.S. soldiers on a task that is from God, that's what we have to make sure we are praying for, that there is a plan and that that plan is God's plan." ?

 Lincoln referred  to the tragic brother versus brother, cousin versus cousin nature of our Civil War when he said:

Both read the same Bible, and pray to the same God; and each invokes His aid against the other. It may seem strange that any men should dare to ask a just God's assistance in wringing their bread from the sweat of other men's faces; but let us judge not that we be not judged. The prayers of both could not be answered; that of neither has been answered fully.

Palin claims to have intended this same sentiment in her sermon. The inference would then be that she feels our current enemy might also be on God's side; that Al Qaeda, Osama bin Laden, Sunni terrorists, Shia terrorists and any other IED planting insurgents might also be doing "God's will." I would never presume to know God's will," she told Charlie Gibson. But at about 2.45 into the Youtube video Palin  seems to have a different  philosophy regarding the will of God when she says: "We can work together to make sure God's will is done."

Palin has every right to believe the War in Iraq proceeds according to her God's plan or that like Bush believes, the war is a Crusade of sorts. But swallowing the revisionist, disingenuous gloss she put on the "God has a plan" sermon goes down like a horse pill. I just wish she had the strength to stand honestly by her convictions, to let the American people know that she would be a Commander in Chief who would rely more heavily on God's plan than on a knowledge of foreign affairs and that her faith sometimes allows her to know God's will. It must be a great comfort and source of confidence to her - of the sort that gives rise to Bush Doctrines.