Done Deal?

First, many thanks to all of you who have posted, e-mailed, texted, and phoned your condolences on the loss of my brother Clayton. He wanted so much to live to see Tuesday's election. His spirit will be watching over all that happens.

The eve of this 2008 presidential election feels more and more like the night before Christmas. Never in my lifetime have I seen such interest and excitement about any election. And on election eve, we see a more relaxed John McCain, and a serene Barack Obama. Both will be hop-scotching across the country trying to wring out every last bit of support. The media, meanwhile, is licking its collective chops.

For this has been an election cycle to remember for those who have been covering it as well. Punditry has reached a new high (or low), as more and more people made good money handicapping the race. And don't let those right wing talk hosts fool you. They may rail against Obama and mean what they say, but they also know where their bread is buttered. Suffice to say its no accident that a couple of prominent conservative talkers signed four year deals recently. That takes them right into the next prsidential cycle.

For Barack Obama, the only remaining question is whether the nation has in fact changed enough to embrace him as its leader. He has run a campaign for the ages. Disciplined, focused, and virtually leakproof, the Obama campaign has provided a blueprint for campaigns of the future, no matter who wins Tuesday. And, while you can fault the McCain operation for a lot, it must be said that John McCain himself refused to use Rev. Jeremiah Wright against Obama, and he stuck to his word, even if those around him did not.

Now, all that's left is for the polls to open Tuesday morning, and for the American people to speak. An electorate that's been studied, analyzed, poked, prodded, and polled to death will finally register the only poll that matters.

Are you ready?