Ellen Goodman: Fear Factor

[azmouse]

http://www.azstarnet.com/allheadlines/264923

Have you noticed that the spookiest colors of the season are not orange and black but red and blue? As Halloween slips into Election Day, the race for the White House has scared more grown-ups than any trip to the haunted house.

I'm not talking about John McCain's farewell fright tour, although it is sad to see the senator trade in his superhero costume for that of fearmonger. After trying on assorted masks, he's settled on profiling his opponent as "Barack the Redistributor" who will take money away from hard-working Americans, "coddle criminals" and, no doubt, ask Bill Ayers to be secretary of state.

The Republican ads — cue the tanks, the Islamic extremists and the rough seas! — have thrown every available hobgoblin into the mix except the mushroom cloud. McCain himself seems to be uttering some weird incantation when he caricatures Barack Obama's policies as so much "blah, blah, blah."

With all the infighting in the coven around the maverick and the fair maiden, it's tempting to call the McCain campaign the Gang That Couldn't Fly a Broomstick Straight.

But the striking thing is not how the Republicans are trying to scare undecided voters. It's how spooked the most committed Democrats are.

The closer Obama comes to victory, the more terror strikes deep in the (blue) heartland. The better things look, the more they worry that it's "trick or trick" time. The election, like that dollar bill on the sidewalk, will be whipped out of their hands.
Did that pundit say that Obama is on the precipice of victory? See I told you, he's on a precipice!

Does Obama have a lead in the polls between 4 percent and 15 percent? Isn't that the margin of error?
Is Arizona now in play? BOO!
Does Obama have more money? YIKES!
Is Palin playing for 2012? EEEK!

Once this election was framed as a contest between fear and hope, with Obama leading the hope team. Now hope is politically incorrect and the Democrats have embraced their inner scaredy cat.

[azmouse]

1. After all the hand wringing here, no comments?

[Frances]

2. Thanks for this post

I appreciate the smiles it gave me

But those of us who were fervent Gore supporters are fearful for a reason. We remember 2000.

[RoseMead]

3. 2000 traumatized some of us

and the last 8 years sealed the deal.

But hey, you're not paranoid if they're really out to get you.