Its the night before the United States election

And I am absolutely terrified.

I am terrified that something will happen to Obama. I am terrified that something will happen to the dearest and most accurate electronic voting machines that we use in the "world's greatest democracy". I am terrified because I know that many of these voting machines have already malfunctioned. I am terrified that the Republicans will pull another Florida 2000, or Ohio 2004. I am terrified that despite the incredible amount of hope in this election, my fellow citizens will be absolutely apathetic in the face of another Florida 2000, or Ohio 2004, that nobody will fight, that their voices will be suppressed until the "angry liberals" become a national joke. I am terrified that Joe the Plumber has been conceived of as a good marketing technique.
I am terrified because I still have so little faith in the people of my nation.
I am terrified that somebody could go so low as to steal every single Obama-Biden yard sign in Las Vegas, New Mexico, less than a week before the election. I am terrified that people take Sarah Palin seriously. I am terrified that tomorrow I will wake up and find out that this entire thing has been a dream. I am terrified that the rhetoric Obama has been forced to adopt in his search for national acceptance will continue in his real foreign policy. I am terrified that horrible things will be done to try and prevent Democrats from voting.
But mostly, I am very scared, and very sad, that this election which has almost restored a little bit of hope in my heart and mind that perhaps my country can do something good after all will end up absolutely and forever destroying that hope.
Despite my cynicism, I am an incredibly idealistic person, to be cynical is good protection from the bitter disappointment I feel whenever the world doesn't live up to my expectations of goodness and perfection. This election has showed me that I am capable of more hope than I am inclined to admit. In addition to the terrified heart-clenching that comes whenever I think about tomorrow, I get excited hopeful butterflies in my stomach.
I'm just praying that the butterflies will prevail.