"Will The World Really Come To An End?"

As Tara said this weekend, "It's all out there now!" Every controversy, every issue. And then my wife asked me, "Will the world really come to an end if Barack Obama becomes President?" [Tara adds: I asked if Jeff actually thought the world would come to an end...because Obama WILL become President.]

Well, no.

Tara and I are long-time political activists. If you are going to be involved long-term, you have to accept wins and losses--lots of them. I am also getting ready to close out a legislative career which saw a fair share of wins--of which I am proud--and a fair share of bills, amendments, and proposals that went down to defeat--in a very public way.

As the campaigns whip up their supporters (or try to dampen the enthusiasm of the opposition) in an effort to win the turn-out game, an "election fever" grips the land in which one person says she can't imagine raising kids under Obama while Tina Fey says she'll "leave the earth" if Palin becomes VP.

Tara has gritted her teeth through 8 years of George W. Bush, while I hid my kids from the TV during the Clinton years--but it's important to keep in mind that today we both went to jobs that we love, our kids are healthy and happy, and this weekend we'll run around doing fun stuff. The important point: through all the economic problems and the roar of the political class...today will be a perfectly fine and normal day for most Americans.

And most political activists I know pick themselves up after an election loss and move forward with eagerness to the next time around. I can tell you why I think people's quality of life will be lessened under an Obama presidency (and Tara can do the same for McCain) but our country will not be thrown into some sort of turbulent Twilight Zone as the result of either candidate being elected.

On a final positive note, here's Bret Stephens to report that America's demise as a superpower has been grossly exaggerated.