Hope vs. Fear. If you believe that together we can not only can meet the challenges we face, but even make life a little better for most of us along the way, then you choose hope and pull the lever for Obama. If you believe that the best thing to do right now is to hold on to what you’ve got, and take care of you and yours above all else, then you choose fear and pull the lever for McCain.
By the way, from time to time I’ve felt both. These are honest, legitimate emotions. We do ourselves a disservice, are probably disrespectful, and certainly lose the ability to think clearly about coming events, if we are dismissive of either.
Sorry my little theory doesn’t come equipped with graphs, exit poll data, spreadsheets, maps of “battleground” states, and a detailed analysis of how wedge issues will “mobilize the base”. I don’t claim it explains how every voter will vote – it’s not a theory about trees, rather it’s a theory that helps me think about forests, how they are being fertilized these days, and which will have the most trees in November.
