Every four years, we the people get one good round house punch at the body politics. Election Day provides its share of indisputable knockouts and the occasional Supreme Court split decision.
For some voters, punching out a ballot card is a visceral experience. Undoubtedly, many a politician awoke to bruised, if not battered ego this morning. Although there are always a few punch-drunks who refuse to throw in the towel of inevitability -- despite repeated precinct voting numbers to the head.
After endless rounds of televised jabs and junk mail counterpunches, the gloves come off the first Tuesday following the first Monday in November. No more Don King-style political prognosticators; just you bare knuckling it in the voting booth.
Elections bring out my pugilistic instinct. I come out swinging for and against.
Granted, I didn't graduate summa cum laude from the Electoral College, so my voting viewpoint might come off as sophomoric. Then again, politics is a high-minded institution that never shades the truth, as in the color of lipstick on a pig. It all makes you wonder if Joe Six Pack or Joe the Plumber even made it to the polls Tuesday?
As Will Rogers succinctly stated, "All politics is apple sauce."
So after all the low-blow ads and sucker-punch campaign promises, the fight is finally over. Today, one man stands victorious -- unless we have to count hanging chads, Ohio or exit polls. Outside the ring, pundits will demand recounts or vow multi-million 2012 rematches. Perhaps a few will utter "No más" in a Roberto Duran moment.
Still, in a post-Election 2008 universe, does Hillary suffer "I coulda' been a contender" ringside remorse? For that matter, will Ralph Nader ever stop third-party shadow boxing?
Thankfully, today the election spin cycle ceases and the cold rinse of reality washes away the yard signs, mass mailings and door-to-door canvassers. Although some will cling to their fallen candidate no matter what the Election Day results.
Eventually they'll go through the five stages of grief: denial (I can't believe So-and-So is president), anger (I CAN'T BELIEVE SO-AND-SO IS PRESIDENT!), bargaining (Dear God, So-and-So can't be president) and depression (I can't believe ABC cancelled "Boston Legal" -- and So-and-So is president). However, there is no need to reach an acceptance stage in a world of "Don't Blame Me, I Voted for So-and-So" bumper stickers.
Hopefully you exercised the right to vote -- and perhaps bloodied a few noses in the process. Just remember to keep your guard up. After all, the midterm bout is a mere two years away. For now, let the talking heads, handlers and hangers-on take their little jabs at the body politics. We the people know who really punches a political ticket -- whether a backslap of support or a 10-count knockout.
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