November 2nd is less than a week away, people! For Frank and Carol, it’s the final countdown…a phrase that – let’s face it – always makes me think of G.O.B. Bluth from “Arrested Development.”
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| Politics are merely illusions, people! ILLUSIONS! |
But that’s another show.
Well, we’ve had a major last-minute change in New Hampshire, blogosphere. The New York Times has officially changed District 1 from the happy yellow shade of a “Toss-up” district to the ambiguous pink of “leaning Republican.” Apparently, the Five-Thirty-Eight Model has given him an 89.7% chance of winning. Wait, hold that thought: I just refreshed the page and he now has a 90% chance of winning. In the two seconds since I wrote that last sentence, Frank Guinta went up .3%. Fellow Democrats, feel free to cry out in despair: “NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!”
How has this happened? And why? Well, I’ll tell you why, and it’s gonna involve putting my two cents into the pot. After all – after covering this race for almost two months now – I feel that it’s only appropriate to – especially right before the election – contribute a bit of my personal opinion. So, in this post, I’m going to offer the two major reasons why I think that this shift towards Guinta has occurred.
First of all, I think that Guinta’s projected success is not a true reflection of either his merits or Shea-Porter’s defects, but rather, is a reflection of the current political zeitgeist that has taken our country by storm. That is, a political zeitgeist that promotes extreme partisanship and intolerance, and the exact problem that Jon Stewart’s “Rally to Restore Sanity” is attempting to highlight. This partisanship is not only polarizing, but ultimately harmful to the political process.
Next, as gross gender inequalities continue to be prolific and rampant throughout our society, I think it’s very difficult for women to enter – and stay – in politics. It’s a near criminal reality, but one that female candidates must contend with every election cycle. Despite my personal political leanings, I certainly appreciate the efforts of all female candidates, from the annoying (*cough* Sarah Palin), to the possibly insane (*cough* Christine O’Donnell *cough cough*), as the odds are truly stacked against them.
Well, that’s my little rant for today. I hope I didn’t scare you away with my quasi op-ed, but rather, gave you some points to consider before heading into the polls. I’ll keep my fingers crossed for Carol in next week’s polls, but it’s not looking good.
That's interesting that you bring up gender and the role it plays in your election. Gender inequalities are still around today but I didn't even think how it can play a role or impact an election race. I wonder how Carol would have done in this race if she was a man or if the outcome would change at all.
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