I wish I had a crystal ball and could see how all of this ACORN and Ayers stuff plays out in the general election. I think I'm to the point now where short of Obama eating a baby or McCain catching Osama Bin Laden himself, there is very little that will change the outcome of this election.

But I have to say that I'm a little dismayed at the level of vitriol that's been coming from those on the right these past few days. I don't quite think that things are to the "mob" level yet, but is it really out of the realm of possibilities that one of the McCain/Palin rallies can get out of hand? And that's just downright frightening.

This election has really been something else. If things continue as is, the Republicans are going to be one scarily dejected group. Barack isn't just running against the past 8 years of Bush/Cheney, he's running against the "Gipper." Every time Obama says that "wealth doesn't trickle down," he's indirectly taking it to Ronald Reagan's economic policies. Every time the media makes a remark about how great of a speaker Obama is and compare him to Ronald Reagan, it must be like nails on a chalkboard to most conservatives. A black, liberal, young senator on par with, as Bill Maher says, the person the conservatives go "gay over," has to be too much for them to take.

I'm sure most of you have seen that horrible video going around the internet of the one Obama fan at a McCain/Palin rally asking supporters what they really think of Obama. And it's like all of their social filters have been stripped away and you're hearing exactly what's on the ultra-conservative person's soul.

I don't want to lump all conservatives in with the jackasses that can't get over Obama's middle name or his race, but how can any decent person be a part of what these rallies have a chance at becoming?

I remember a voting registration drive we had in Denton during 2004 where a young radical came out with a poster equating Bush and Hitler. I remember that not sitting well with me at all. As Lennon said, "if you go carrying pictures of Chairman Mao, you aint going to make it with anyone anyhow."

These people need to just take a deep breath and chill the hell out. No matter who wins this election, the other side is going to have to make a concerted effort to calm their constituents. And the winning side is going to have to govern from the center. Sure they can do some left/right things, but I am just really worried that things are getting to a point of no return.

I think things need to just calm down a bit. We're too politicized this year. If Barack doesn't win this year, I'm going to be really devastated. I think he is the future of not only American politics, but of America itself. Diversity personified. Cool. Collected. New ideas.

But I would realize that it's more important to come together as a country than it is to be partisan. That's been the main problem with the past 8 years. Bush has been so hyper partisan that it's really solidified people taking sides against one another.

And I thought that a McCain/Obama campaign was going to reflect this. But so far, that doesn't seem to have been the case.

I think a game-changer is still likely for the both of them. Imagine if McCain came out against those people who are saying "terrorist" and "traitor" at his rallies. Imagine if he stopped his speech and said, "My friends, that is not who we are as American." He has to realize that he cannot go down like this. He can't go down as someone who divided us further than we already are.

Imagine if McCain and Obama showed up to each other's rallies and introduced the other to their crowds. Imagine how much bridge healing would take place. I thought that was the campaign we were going to have.

That's all I have for now. I'm a tad bit frustrated right now. I want things to settle down a bit. We're at war and are facing daily economic crises. If things don't settle down, then this could be just the beginning of how bad things become.

- Matt