Hope, But Verify.

A little more than a week ago, the Phillies stood one win away of their first title since 1980 and the first Philly championship in 25 years. They had soundly outplayed the Rays for the first 4 games, they had made all the right moves both on and off the mound and their young ace was on the mound in the clincher. I had every logical reason to start dreaming of the parade down Broad Street. And yet...these were the Phillies. Hope without a gnawing doubt was not an option

That about sums up my feelings on the eve of a possible Obama victory. All of the stars are aligned for a Democratic victory, the financial meltdown simply bringing the flaws of the Bush era into sharp relief. For once the Democratic campaign has been well-crafted and well-executed, rather than tone-deaf and outdated. Obama has played his weak cards (the residual racism of older America, a foreign middle name, a relatively thin resume) as well as they could be played. There is every reason to believe that Obama's ground operation will if anything exceed the giddy expectations set by the polls. And yet...., the Democrats have found ways to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory time and again.

Still, we live in a world in which the Phillies are the World Champs. And so it is not too much to hope that Americans will finally reject the politics of distraction and division and instead embrace a politics of potential and renewal.