If Ignorance is Bliss, Tis Folly to be Wise

If I have to choose between the guillotine and a death of a thousand cuts, guess what?

The last three national elections have been torment. Particularly in 2000 and in 2004, moment by moment scrutiny of the election returns -- particularly if you were plugged into Drudge who was leaking the early exit polls -- produced the most acute pain when it seemed the Democrats would win in spite of cheating etc. And then the cheating etc. kicked in, and that was that.

I was on sabbatical in 2004 and sat at the computer all day monitoring every ebb and flow in the news.

And till midafternoon PST, it was all flow. Zogby declared Kerry the winner.

Hah.

So this year no media. About 4 p.m. I'll step away from the computer. Maybe we will go to a movie. Maybe we will play hearts. And there is always the proverbial good book, perhaps "Lord of the Rings," which Rick Santorum says is God's roman a clef about us and Iraq.

Either we will win back the House or we won't. My moment by moment pulse-taking of the vote-counting will make no difference to the outcome. It's just like the California lottery. I'll take my pain or my pleasure in one lump sum.