It is strange. Almost everyone who is enabled to talk on radio & TV seems to agree (explicitly or implicitly) that the Bush years are embarrassing and that the Republicans have enough scandals, wars, spyings, tortures, fiscal debacles and general ineptitudes on their record that the Democrats 'ought' to be guaranteed a big win this year........yet, many polls indicate it may be close and NO guarantee.

Why is this? It seems that a certain number of folks simply intend to hide their heads in the sand and ignore this tawdry 8 years because they are, by God, conservative Republicans, and would not vote for ANY Democrat if he guaranteed 2 chickens in every pot! That's fine...these folks are always with us, and their convoluted disclaimers stem from a stubborn mindset that can be found on both sides of the fence. I make this out to be maybe 30-40%....concentrated in certain demographic areas...mostly rural.

However, added to these are some folks who 'might' vote Democratic, except that they also refuse to vote for a man of African heritage....ANY such man, as they have 'fears' of "opening the floodgates" or some other vague worry similar to those expressed when those of African heritage were just trying to get the right to vote.

Added to these are folks who will be swayed by various 'special interest' campaigns about guns, abortions, gay marriages, immigration and the scare tactic of suggestions that Obama 'might' put Bill or Hillary or both on the Supreme court! ☺.
The Republicans are short of money, have a candidate that many of them are FAR from happy with, have almost nothing good to point to in their 8 years in power...by by God, they have tried & true campaign tactics of fear mongering, distortion of positions like 'swift boating' and 'Willie Hortoning' and basic appeals to faulty reasoning that would keep me, your dedicated in-house philosopher, working 24/7 to unravel..(and no one would read it, 'cause it takes 9 times as long to show the faults in a straw man argument as to make one!)
So..I long for the days when the obvious flaws in a Barry Goldwater platform would be overwhelmed by common sense, and I have only cautious optimism about being able to elect this inspiring candidate we have finally confirmed.
It's gonna be a nervous few months.