A Chilling Guarantee by McCain

On today's Meet the Press, John McCain "guaranteed" that he would win in a squeaker.

"'I guarantee you that two weeks from now, you will see this has been a very close race, and I believe that I'm going to win it,' McCain told interim "Meet" moderator Tom Brokaw. 'We're going to do well in this campaign, my friend. We're going to win it, and it's going to be tight, and we're going to be up late.'"

The article goes on to say that the most recent polls are showing a tightening race, but I am not sure about that. It could be Obama's short absence from the campaign trail to visit his grandmother might have taken him off the top of people's minds for a day or so. The polls can't change that radically in two days.

But what does it mean that McCain has so much bravado that he is willing, like Joe Namath, to guarantee a victory? Does he know something we don't? Does he know what the GOP may have planned for all those hackable Diebold voting machines out there? Does he expect a massive voter suppression effort by the underground right-wing forces to whom he's sold his soul?

This pronouncement shouldn't bother me, but it does. Sure, he might just be putting a good face on his situation. He might be trying to buck up his supporters. Or maybe he really knows he's going to win.

We must not let this happen. If there is another stolen election I think half this country will rise up in revolt. And I'll be right there with them. We must make sure that every Democratic vote is counted, and every Obama supporter gets to the polls and votes. We cannot take any chances this year. Too much is at stake.

I Am Afraid

I am afraid the country is on the verge of another Great Depression.

I am afraid of the vicious, hate-filled mobs who are cheering McCain and Palin.

I am afraid that the government may declare martial law and even postpone the election if the economic situation worsens.

I am afraid that McCain-Palin's completely heinous, false and misleading video about Obama being tied to terrorism might actually work because so much of America is full of people who are ignorant.

I am afraid of the Bradley Effect.

I am afraid of voter purges in swing states, voter suppression, and Diebold.

I am afraid of an October Surprise that would benefit McCain. I wouldn't even put it past the GOP to either engineer or allow a terrorist attack if they thought it would help him beat Obama.

I am afraid of the anger that is seething in America, which could erupt if things get worse.

One part of me is excited that Obama is in the lead but another part of me is full of fear for the future. There are still 27 days until the election. Anything could happen.

I've seen some overconfidence among Democrats - a headline today talking about a possible "Obama Landslide." This also makes me afraid. We cannot become complacent, cannot take anything for granted. This article from Alternet makes some very good points:

"Along with throwing mud and benefitting from racism, McCain stands to gain from the fact that the national Republican Party now has a lot more money in the bank than the Democratic Party does. And in many states, a wide range of anti-democratic measures -- including purges of voter rolls and very unreasonable requirements for voter ID on Election Day -- will work to the benefit of the McCain-Palin ticket.

Overall, the polls showing Obama with a sizeable lead should be taken with a box of salt. The count on election night could be close. In the meantime, McCain can only benefit when progressives assume he'll lose.

Such rosy assumptions are dangerous. They're apt to result in overconfidence, reducing volunteer energy and voter turnout for Obama.

Assume that the economic crisis has doomed the McCain campaign? He hopes you will."