I’ve been an amateur shrink as the election season reaches a climax. I spent part of Wednesday night on Twitter reassuring anxious people than things were going to go well next Tuesday. I genuinely believe that, but I also know how stressful the last week of any Presidential election is, especially this year with the threat of a Trump Presidency. He’s going to lose BUT he’ll get over 40% of the vote and that outrages many people. I get why it does but he’s a major party nominee, which means that he’ll get between 38-45% of the vote. It’s nuts but so is life. So it goes.

I even got a thank you tweet of sorts:

https://twitter.com/9MSJ9/status/793996547423748097

One thing I advise people to do is to not treat every new poll as if it’s life and death. Trump has not led nationally in any polling average since July. Hillary’s blue state fire wall is holding and in states with large Hispanic populations she’s doing better than expected. Hispanics do not like Trump or the Republicans. Imagine that.

I think that some folks who are likely HRC voters are underpolled. Hispanics for one, college educated Republican women for another. Some do not want to tell their husbands that they’re voting for a woman who has been demonized by the GOP since 1992. Repeat after me: it’s hard being a pioneer.

Then there’s the Democrats real ace in the hole: the ground game. We have a strong one and their candidate thinks it doesn’t matter so they don’t. It could be worth 1 to 4 points in the most hotly contested states.

The shitstorm of negative stories and egregious leaks is *intended* to depress the folks on our side. Fuck the FBI and Comey PAC. They know that Dems have a tendency to panic and/or freak out, which is why we should not. It’s what B3 want. Do not give them the satisfaction. Freaking out never made anything better. Don’t get depressed, get mad. Better yet, get even.

Rather than brooding take a walk, go out to dinner, go to the movies, have an adult beverage *instead* of checking 538.com every 20 minutes. One good thing about the 24-7 news cycle is that the information is always out there. Also avoid cable news if it gets under your skin. Above all, avoid social media if it gets you down.

The other thing that my online friend are worried about is the possibility of post-election violence and unrest when-not if-Trump loses. While it *is* possible that the odd deranged Trumper might flip out, I don’t take the talk of “revolution” seriously. The average Trumper is scared shitless. Scared people do not storm the Bastille as it were. They’ll go back to their lives and spend little time thinking about the losing candidate. Americans hate a loser: why should it be any different this time around? And Trump’s entire persona is built around winning.

I lived through the hopeless years of 1972, 1980, and 1984. I knew my candidate was going to lose in each of those elections. I do my best to stay as objective as possible even when the candidate is someone I admire such as Fritz Mondale. In 1988, I thought we had a chance to win until early October when it became clear that my countryman, Michael Dukakis didn’t have what it takes. I remain convinced a better candidate might have won that year but we’ll never know. Just as the GOPers who think they’d win in a landslide this year with another candidate do not know. This is the time to act, not to ask “what if?” That’s for the bedwetters and Nervous Nellies. I like my sheets dry, y’all.

The election is going to be closer than I had hoped but I am convinced the American people will not elect Donald Trump. People may want to “blow things up” in theory but not in real life. The stakes are too high. Trump will not be the first Insult Comedian elected President.

If you’re planning to vote *against* Trump, that’s okay with me. I am voting *for* Hillary Clinton who is the toughest and most prepared person to ever run for President. She’s been unfairly vilified, caricatured and maligned for years but she keeps on fighting. She’s not only running against the GOP but the FBI, alt-right, the KKK, and Russia. And she’s going to become our first female President next January.

I’d like to remind you what Bill Weld said about HRC earlier this week:

I have a lot to say about Mrs. Clinton that has not been said by others recently and that I think needs to be said. I mean I’ve known her for 40 years. I worked with her, I know her well professionally. I know her well personally. I know her to be a person of high moral character. A reliable person and an honest person, however Mr. Trump may rant and rave to the contrary. So I’m happy to say that. People can make their own choices.

 <SNIP>

Well I’m here vouching for Mrs. Clinton and I think it’s high time somebody did, and I’m doing it based on my personal experience with her and I think she deserves to have people vouch for her other than members of the Democratic National Committee, so I’m here to do that.

That’s a woman worthy of your trust and your vote. The best things in life are never easy. Let’s make history on Tuesday and break that proverbial glass ceiling once and for all.

I cannot resist giving the last word to Nick Lowe. I Love The Sound Of Breaking Glass would be an excellent theme song for HRC:

UPDATE: Josh Marshall has some reassuring words about the end of the campaign. I’m also optimistic about Florida, Pennsylvania, and Nevada. One more thing: Fuck the FBI.