The Waiting Game

Twelve days 'til the election. All the news revolves around polls that haven't really moved and vicious, dirty campaign ads put out by desperate Republicans.

The Waiting Game has begun.

Nothing truly new will happen in the next two weeks. Journalists will run stories about polls and vicious attack ads by desperate Republicans. Bloggers will put up posts on polls,condemn Republicans for vicious and unethical (and untrue) attack ads, and remind their readers to go keep working, keep giving money, and to go vote. Candidates will run around trying to see every person in their districts, talk about attack ads (defending the ones they're running and condemning their opponents) and completely avoid the issues. Voters will watch attack ad after attack ad and remain unswayed. They know dirty politics when they see it.

For all the sound and the fury of the next two weeks, what we're really doing is waiting for election day. Only then does the action mean anything.

Irregularities, lines, and intimidation will be the story. And the weather - rain drives down the senior vote. Exit polling and projections. Big boards on the big networks counting Red Seats and Blue Seats. Reactions from 'experts' and predictions.

The groundwork has been laid for two narratives, either 'The Democratic version of 1994' or 'Republican GOTV saved the day.'

We'll find out which narrative wins soon enough.

2006 Election