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T-minus two days until, if the polls are any indication, the largest landslide in recent election history.
My take? It just keeps getting stranger.
On the campaign trail today in South Carolina, Senator Lee spoke up about GodlessGate (yes, I hate that phrase too, though I have some respect for the catchy alliteration).
It was an amazing speech, say that while our pasts were a part of who we are, we should be judged by what kind of person we have become because of our pasts, not simply on the past itself. Of course, whether you believe the sincerity of the statement, versus a well-tailored turn-of-phrase to win votes depends largely on who you were gonna vote for in the first place, I'm guessing.
Next, however, came the quote that will be seen in newspapers for days to come, and perhaps in textbooks for decades to come.
"If you are listening to me now because of what has recently come out regarding my respected opponent, do not vote for me. Let me make this perfectly clear. If you are leaning towards me because you fear Rep. Johnson is an athiest, I do not want your vote. I do not consider this a shortcoming of his, and I do not want to capitalize from it. I would rather you simply stay home on Election Day." His trademark staccato delivery drove home his emphasis.
Brilliance. Think about it. For a decent part of the electorate, athiesm is irrelevant, if not even a positive. However, trends show a large part of this group was already leaning towards Sen. Lee. But gains were made in two more ways. One, he earns a lot of trust and respect for (seemingly?) refusing to take advantage of his opponent's misfortune (we'll deal with the parenthetical here more in a minute). Plus, he has likely disillusioned a large portion of the voting base from even showing up...people who originally would have voted for Rep. Johnson, and perhaps still would have if they found themselves in the voting booth.
Also, have you noticed how he's brushed aside any questions regarding his religious affiliation?
"My religion is between God and me," he says before moving on. Which is again rather well-crafted...it implies a Christian belief without saying anything definite, thus doing nothing to outright alienate anybody.
What do I think? Well, as I've said before, I believe he speaks with a clarity, an intelligence, and an honesty I haven't seen before in such a prominent politician. Actions do speak louder than words, but I believe he means every word he says...and that's all we really have to go on at this point, isn't it? That's the whole point of the runup to election day, after all.
So I guess I'm saying, we'll see.
Found out from work today I don't need to worry about wasting gas coming in any more. So I made a few purchases with my employee discount for the last time, and bid the store a not-so-fond farewell.
Not gonna mess with jobhunting until after the election. Should have just enough saved up to last for a little while, and if I can pull off a win in the tournament tomorrow, maybe I can even splurge on one of those higher-quality frozen pizzas.
Least I'll be home for the election coverage.
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