Try just watching Bravo reality shows. Works for me!

[jlh]

Friends,

I know that for some of you, I'm a calming voice of reason, the person telling you why you shouldn't freak out. And that's great. I mean, it's nice to have a role. But seriously, even though I love you guys? If one more person talks to me in person or in chat about how they're scared that McCain is going to win I am seriously going to hit someone.

Here's the short answer: Stop worrying. It's way too early. Help out if you can, but after that you're just going to have to get Zen about it.

The long answer: Everyone gets a convention bump, but Obama didn't get to ride his for too long because the conventions were back-to-back and because of the VP nomination; what we're seeing now is McCain's. Don't stress about McCain's speech getting higher ratings than Obama's, because more of McCain's people are going to watch the speech on CNN rather than online someplace. Most people don't even pay attention to the campaign until after Labor Day, and many will make their final decision based on the debates. Yes, a lot of people are excited about Sarah Palin, but those aren't people who might have voted for Obama, but people who would have just stayed home. Obama has a fantastic campaign organization--that's how he won over Hillary, who'd been all but designated a year before the primaries even started.

If the news freaks you out, then stop reading the blogs, stop listening to the news (it actually isn't that tough) and filter out people who talk about politics all the time. I promise after this to do it behind a cut. Watch Top Design or the new season of The Hills or catch up on BSG or whatever, but just stop freaking out on me, because there's only so much I can do to keep you hopeful, you know? I can't counter argue all of your fears, and trying to is stressing me out.

Thanks! Back to pop culture in the next post. OMG, double elimination on PR this week!!!!! Six designers showing in Bryant park (including decoys)! What the hell, Tim?

ETA: Gawker says to stop obsessing over polls! I would say to instead obsess over David Gregory taking over political coverage from Keith and Chris on MSNBC, but you shouldn't be watching cable news anyway! *wags finger*

Comments

[chinawolf.livejournal.com]

Thank you for your words of calm. I *was* starting to panic a little, actually. It's not I can do ANYthing about it, at all, but I was so optimistic up until now, and the way the tide seems to be turning if one believes the news is scary.

[sistermagpie.livejournal.com]

Heh. Just the other day a friend was freaking out over the "more people watching McCain" speech. I was like...maybe Democrats watch the other side more than the other side watched Obama's speech?

[goraina.livejournal.com]

That's what I assumed! :)

[jlh.livejournal.com]

Also, the McCain speech had a sick lead in--the whole NFL kickoff thing. So it's like, a headline that doesn't actually mean anything. Which happens in the media a lot.

[ali-wildgoose.livejournal.com]

SORRY ARG

*zens*

[jlh.livejournal.com]

Don't worry about it! It was more the deluge than any one person.

Have you read f!s yet? There's one from someone who's friend said "tl;dr" to them and i'm like, your friend is an asshole.

[ali-wildgoose.livejournal.com]

Already replied!

[misscake]

Or, you know, what Scalzi said.

[dana-kujan.livejournal.com]

Thank you! I really needed this today! :)

[jlh.livejournal.com]

yay! And I admit that the Gawker article made me feel a little better; there was also something on Andrew Sullivan's blog.

And thanks for that link; it was mostly where I was and what the people who were not making a snap judgment about the thing were saying. Personally I was concerned when I heard the initial ruling that it would be traipsing broadly into the transformative work space, but it very specifically did not. So I think when I saw people getting so excited about the verdict I was confused. But apparently SVA has gathered a lot of bad will on himself in other ways, so there's that.