Update: Many wondered what in the hell I am talking about.
So I updated this below to illustrate some of the diaries and comments I encoutered. Plus remember outside of DKos, there are people we encounter who are looking at this differently. And some are discouraged, depressed, and ready to give up. I have seen this in person and here to a much lesser degree and on a number of other forums.
I have seen a lot of people giving up in despair and becoming discouraged and depressed over McCain's choice of VP.
Who cares if she energizes the base? I am not convinced they would stay home anyway. As many regular voters do vote in Presidential elections.
It seems his choice motivated the wingnut base.
It can also motivate our base to work even hard and become even more energized.
****** UPDATE: Many ask me what I am basing this on. Most have not seen any discouraged or anxious people worrying about Palin as a pick. So I decided to list diaries and comments I was seeing A LOT late last night. Scroll down***
UPDATE: Here are the Quotes and Links ;
http://www.dailykos.com/...
I think it'll work....
I truly think this will get the wingnut vote. I am from the deep south and almost everyone I know (with the exception of my 2 other liberal friends) is supporting McCain and they are all just THRILLED with his pick. I don't believe anyone around here would even do any research on her. They don't need to know anything more than she's a creationist, pro-life, anti-gays, pro-guns, and pro-drilling. That's all that matters around here.
I just feel sick about it.
http://www.dailykos.com/...
The Christian Right is only one part of the Republican Party. If all the groups unite behind Palin though, keeping their mouths shut even though they dislike her, it could be tough for the Democrats. The independent, low information voters tend to ignore complaints unless both parties agree, or the media agree. So if Republicans and the media stand behind Palin, it will be trouble.
Really worried. I think this could be a game changer. Just when I thought things were starting to go our way after Obama's incredible speech last night.
As people were asking where I found this and what the hell I was talking about.
Maybe this explains my motivation for writing the diary.
Try to take it easy on me, this is what I was seeing.
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We can use his pick to Energize Our Base or we can become discouraged and give up.
- We give the Wingnut base too much power and attention when we promote the idea they can win because they have have in the past. Sure anyone can win or lose an election but sometimes we get stuck in the past. Democrats lost 2 Presidential elections. But this has happened throughout history to both both parties. But to Automatically think the Republicans can easily win because they have in the past is giving up and giving in to them. Who says because they won 2 Presidential elections, that gives them a leg up? Where is that written. What makes them all so powerful? They cannot be all powerful, almighty unless we think and tell them they are.
- When we feel all hope is lost because the Wingnuts always win by dirty tricks, we are giving up. We can fight them at every turn. We can debunk all the myths they throw out and all the spin. We do not have to assume that Voters will buy their bullshit because they have in the past. We work and work and never give up. Elections are won by Voters and GOTV is all about that. Sure anyone can win the Spin Game du Jour in the media but Voters decide election.
- The last 2 elections have many Republicans we encounter feeling they cannot lose. The last 2 elections have many Democrats feeling they cannot win. Neither of these are facts and neither is true. It a mindset that can be overcome by empowering ourselves to once again believe Anything is possible. Hells Bells, we won overwhelmingly and Republicans got spanked in 2006.
- Conceding early or giving up is just a way to try to spare ourselves the sadness, the grieving, the anger we may feel if Obama loses the election.
It allows us to hide in a shell so nothing can hurt us. By doing this, we hurt ourselves. What I have seen:
Having worked as psychologist with addicts, they will talk about how they medicated themselves to keep from feeling human emotions. And when that was taken away, they had to learn to cope with handling and processing their feelings. And in doing so, they grew and matured and gained an awareness.
I say: we Face that Bridge if and when we come to it.
If we decide to retreat too soon for fear of how losing will anger, frighten, sadden, depress us, we are simply hiding, avoiding and running away.
I was always an emotional and sensitive person. I would and do feel things deeply. But my late parents taught me so many valuable lessons and provided me with the tools and coping skills for the challenges of life. Some of the important ones were:
Do not give up your Dreams
Believe in Achieving Much
Face Failure if and when it comes but never Lose Hope.
Preparing ourselves too much for losses, contributes nothing but to protect ourselves from feeling normal , human emotions.
I will use a sports analogy from the 1980 USA Gold Medal winning Hockey Team. The USSR team was considered to be unbeatable. No one could beat them, not even the NHL All Stars. But the USA team won because they believed they could. They believed and they were coached to believe they were stronger, tougher, better conditioned and better prepared than the Soviets were. And this mindset in addition to their team play led to the Victory.
What if instead they believed they would lose and therefore, went onto the ice feeling discouraged and demoralized? Most, including their coach, the late Herb Brooks, believed that mindset alone would contribute to a loss. So instead he said....( and I paraphrase but I will find the exact quote)...
I am sick of the Soviets being called the Best Hockey Team ever and being told they cannot be beat.
Well not Today, Not this Time, Today we will Win because We know we can Win.
We can use his pick to Energize Our Base or we can become discouraged and give up. Who says Sarah Palin can only motivate Their Base.
Dammit, we can use this as a way to motivate to Motivate OUR Base.
We Cannot give into the naysayers and the defeatists who say we simply cannot defeat the Rovian tactics of fear and division. I am sick of hearing that we cannot win and that no one can beat the Rove method.
Not This Time, We can win because we believe we can.
The Choice is ours.