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Oct. 31, 2004 
P. Diddy’s voting campaign “Vote or Die” may be a tad intense (downright scary on last week's "South Park" or with the Mr. T Mohawk) but the point is valid. The election on Tuesday is probably one of the most anticipated in our lifetimes. Many polls show that voters are really into this race. A Wall Street Journal poll question that asked respondents to identify themselves as “very interested” in the election shows a +20 point gain over the 2000 election, and +27 point increase over 1996. Nearly 2 million have voted in early election opportunities in Florida, two and half times more than there was in the 2000 election. In Texas more than 2.4 million have already cast ballots in the state's 15 largest counties, 58 percent higher than in 2000. Nationwide the 2000 election netted 5 million voters, what will the turnout be on Tuesday? 130 million or more is possible. You may have to go back to the 1968 campaign, at the height of Vietnam and when all hell broke lose at the Chicago Democratic convention, to witness passions this strong. Not since Ronald Reagan has a conservative figure so enraged and motivated the Left as George W. Bush. Political punk rock is back, “Fahrenheit 9/11” is a sensation and old hippies are re-braiding their hair. Even mainstream artists like Eminem and A Perfect Circle are getting into the protest party. On the other hand, there is a bulwark of support and love for President Bush (one that his father never enjoyed) that may very well see him reelected. The country is divided with each candidate having something like 48 percent of the vote according to the polls. Red states and Blue states remain. No matter how the election turns out, half of the population will be really pissed off come Wednesday morning. |