Posted by
T. Thomas on Friday, July 18, 2008 8:37:32 PM
Excitation is interesting because, by definition, it is a state outside the norm. Excitement is generated among both people and atomic particles when a stimulus is applied which causes mass to exceed its normal boundaries of space and time. It cannot endure without the constant application of stimulation and seeks its original state as soon as the irritant is removed.
The news media is the primary exciter at this point, today gushing that Obama's impending European tour, already rife with missteps, is the equivalent to that of a rock star: Justin Timberlake at Madison Square garden but without the great music or dancing. The media is demanding a great deal of Mr. Obama as they seek to maintain the feverish momentum which peaked far earlier than is healthy or sustainable for a mere mortal.
Voting for a United States president is not an act of excitement. The voting booth is one of the most sober and contemplative places on earth. It represents a peak moment of private introspection where each individual searches his heart to decide who best to grant permission to succeed to the most powerful position on Earth. It is a deeply sobering experience for most, and many people make up their minds in that final instant of hesitancy before they mark their ballots. This is not a place where media driven frenzy easily intrudes.
The streets of America were awash with millions of McGovern's frenzied devotees throughout the hot summer of 1972 in demonstrations driven into self-replication by the intense coverage of a media then, as now, determined to drive the party in power from office. The dour, unlikeable and unexciting Richard Nixon took 49 of the 50 states and none of McGovern's supporters saw it coming.
Excitement thrives in the company of others. It gives people camaraderie and validation, but every citizen enters the infinite quiet of the voting booth alone. There, not in the streets or on the television sets of America, is where our elections are ultimately won or lost