Politics
On November 7, the New York Times reported that "sales of handguns, rifles and ammunition have surged in the last week, according to gun store owners across the nation who describe a wave of buyers concerned that an Obama administration will curtail their right to bear arms."
During the presidential campaign, as well as on election night, the major media generally ignored the third-party candidates who threw their hats into the presidential ring. These largely ignored candidates, none of whom attained one percent of the vote, included: Independent Ralph Nader (667,000 votes; 0.5 percent), the Libertarian Party's Bob Barr (494,000 votes; 0.4 percent), the Constitution Party's Chuck Baldwin (178,000 votes; 0.1 percent), and the Green Party's Cynthia McKinney (144,000 votes; 0.1 percent).*
During the Republican presidential debate in Durham, New Hampshire, in September 2007, Congressman Ron Paul warned that "we've dug a hole for ourselves and we've dug a hole for our party. We're losing elections and we're going down next year if we don't change it."
The flying circus that is the quadrennial U.S. presidential-election campaign is finally coming to another cyclical finish. It culminates today, when millions of voters will go to their polling stations and cast their ballots. But millions will also stay away and not participate, feeling that it is a waste of time to stand in line for up to two hours, because they believe that, as a certain Southern politician once put it, "There is not a dime's worth of difference between the Republicans and the Democrats."
"Police departments in cities across the country are beefing up their ranks for Election Day, preparing for possible civil unrest and riots after the historic presidential contest," reported The Hill, a Washington, D.C.-based newspaper and Internet site, on October 21.
