THE AUDACITY OF AN OBAMA DEFEAT

We are rapidly coming to the end of a history making electoral process, one which has been marked by hotly competitive contests not only between candidates, but candidates who symbolize and represent entire factions of the American electorate; gender, race, age and social status.

Never before in the nation's history has a Presidential campaign season been so defined by dirty politics, race baiting, economic class warfare, the manipulation by an increasingly biased and overzealous press corps, the evolving role of the blogosphere (and the thousands of voices it has created, and legitimized to a certain extent), and an ever increasing sense that the Presidency can be bought and paid for.

In looking back on the 2008 election, historians and researchers will focus and examine every nuance of the process from Iowa to the swearing in ceremony. In the words of William Bennett, "they will have to cut down two forests just to have enough paper to write about this amazing campaign cycle."

As of this writing, depending on which polling data you might prefer, Barack Obama seems to be enjoying the benefit of a double digit lead nationally, and an almost deathlike stranglehold on the electoral process, in which the nation is carved into red, blue and battleground states. Clearly, many political pundits are expecting, and near guaranteeing an Obama/Biden win November 4th, a huge increasing in democratic seats in the House, and a possibility of the liberals gaining enough Senate seats to be filibuster proof (60).

So, having said all of that, what if the inconceivable happens? What if the John McCain and Sarah Palin ticket somehow resurrects itself in the next two weeks and wins the election?

Let’s start with Philly Daily News columnist Fatima Ali, who wrote: "If McCain wins, look for a full-fledged race and class war, fueled by a deflated and depressed country, soaring crime, homelessness and economic despair."

I see more, coupled with this, we may see an already fractious nation split in a thousand different ways; urban vs. heartland, rich vs. poor, liberal vs. conservative and the "Joe plumbers" of the country vs. the educated elitists.

It isn't just me. Let's take a look at what James Carville said to Anderson Cooper after the last debate: "Now let me be clear here, if Obama goes in this race with a 5- point lead and losing this election, the consequences are—bull, man. I mean I don’t think that’s going to happen, but I think David it’s a point to bring up. But you stop and contemplate this country if Obama goes in and he has a consistent five point lead and loses the election, it would be very, very, very dramatic out there.
“Very, very dramatic out there,” seeming to mean “urban black people taking to the streets in protest, one thing leading to another, and all hell breaking loose. A bigoted, racist comment / interpretation? Yes. Truth is, there will be demonstrations everywhere, especially in the poorer, more urban areas and inner-cities.

David Corbin, a politics professor at The King’s College, contends there is potential for public riots the night of or after the election, if Obama’s lead in the polls does not translate into victory.
“I don’t think that’s something that we’ve looked at very closely, and I think that this could be a powder keg here as we get towards that day, given that Senator Obama is an African-American and given that there might be some backlash if he actually loses,” Corbin explains.

Not looked at very closely? Not so, say many senior members of urban police forces, who are gearing up for every possibility. Law enforcement officials say the intense public interest and historic nature of the vote could lead to violent outbreaks if people are unhappy with the results, encounter problems casting their ballots or suspect voting irregularities. Police departments say they cannot rule out disorder and are mobilising extra forces and putting SWAT teams on standby.
In Oakland, near San Francisco, police will have tactical squads, SWAT teams and officers trained in riot control on standby. "We always try to prepare for the worst," said Oakland police department spokesman Jeff Thomason.

Right-wing websites and blogs have been fuelling speculation about election unrest with unconfirmed reports of an online petition that pledges "civil disobedience" if Mr McCain wins.
Meanwhile, in a blog posting entitled 'A McCain "Win" Will Be Theft, Resistance Is Planned', David Swanson, Washington director of Democrats.com and a board member of Progressive Democrats of America, writes: "If your television declares John McCain the president elect on the evening of November 4th, your television will be lying.
"You should immediately pick up your pre-packed bags and head straight to the White House in Washington, DC, which we will surround and shut down until this attempt at a third illegitimate presidency is reversed.
"We may be there for days or weeks or months. But we must be there. We must be there by the millions. We must show each other, and the nation, and the world that we have had enough, that we will not stand for one more stolen election, that we will not give in to fear, lies, theft, and intimidation."
Mr Carville told The Hill that "a lot of Democrats would have a great deal of angst and anger," if Mr Obama lost. He predicted that on November 4, "the voting system all around the country is going to be very stressed because there's going to be enormous turnout."

Many will see a McCain victory as proof positive of a racist America, a nation so mired in racial hatred that it took them almost two hundred years to create a civil rights act. A nation with an electoral process so biased, so rigged against anyone other than a white man, that the so called "Bradley Effect," will hereafter be know as the "Bradley Promise." A system so slanted that it validates the race baiting sermons of Reverend Wright, the anti-everything rantings of Louis Farrakhan, and will almost certainly guarantee a large portion of the disenchanted black voters, currently engaged to a large extent, will divorce themselves of the entire political process.

Am I one of many over dramatising the potentials in a defeat of the Obama nation? I don't think so. This is more than the crushing of the hopes and fears of a large group of Americans. This is about faith in our nation, faith in the legitimacy of the election process and the crushing of yet another Black leader in our lifetime. A leader who has instilled a sense of hope and change in the hearts of half of our nation, especially minorities. Especially Black America.

What happens if McCain, an established example of old school white dominance, wins? It will mean to many that "the man" has won again, and blacks have been put back in their place, yet again.

What will a McCain victory mean in two weeks? It will put a racial spotlight on everything in this nation; a nation currently just scratching the surface of the effects from the dismal failure of an eight year Bush Presidency. An nothing, absolutely nothing inflames a political situation in this nation than economic strife.

Am I predicting an Obama defeat? NO, but I am a veteran of the last two election cycles. Am I predicting wide spread riots, enforcement of curfews in our cities, news reports of cops in riot gear seemingly out of control on our streets as they beat back angry crowds of demonstrators? NO. All I am saying is the possibility exists. And all too recent memories of this Los Angeles based blogger bares it out.

And that is the world...."The World According to Kimba." Thanks for reading.