Before I go back to my happily a-political blogging life, I’m putting it on the line and calling the election in advance:

Kerry wins, 271 electoral votes to Bush’s 267. Kerry picks up Ohio and Pennsylvania, Bush wins New Mexico and New Hampshire and ‘wins’ Florida in a dicey outcome that – because it doesn’t sway the election – fortunately doesn’t hold anyone’s attention as legal battles rage on there for several months. Also, the popular vote pushes Kerry to nearly 52%, with no real effect except that pollsters everywhere start thinking that maybe counting cell-phone only voters and overseas absentee voters might be a good idea after all.

Am I confident Kerry wins? Fairly. Am I still wet-my-pants nerve-wracked about the election? Without a doubt. And only in part because I can only begin to imagine the creative ways in which Bush can run the country into the ground given four more years. Mainly because, for the first time in their lives, my peers have thrown themselves headlong into the political process, have worked tirelessly on this election, have staked their hearts and souls on its outcome. I’m terrified that – if it all comes to naught – it’ll be the last time my generation really tries to make this whole ‘democracy’ thing work. I’m not really sure, long-term, what that disengagement would lead to, but I’m pretty certain it’s even worse than four more years of G. W. Bush.