Peggy Noonan thinks that, given the close presidential race, the passions being ar0used, and now the economic troubles found on Wall Street, that the Obama folks especially might get nasty:
"A fearless prediction: My beautiful election enters its dark phase.
Lots of signs of the new darkness. Mr. Obama's army is swarming, blocking lines when Obama critics show up for radio interviews. A study out Thursday said the Obama campaign has become more negative than the McCain campaign. There is the hacking—no one at this point knows by whom—of Sarah Palin's personal email account. From Mr. Obama himself, a new edge. He tells an audience in Elko, Nev., to "argue" with McCain supporters and "get in their face." Bambi is playing Chicago style. No doubt everyone around him has been saying, and for some weeks now, "Get tough." But this is not how to get tough, and it does not reflect a shrewd reading of what the moment demands. People want depth, not ferocity. We've got nerves that jingle-jangle-jingle. And it gives Mr. McCain a beautiful opening. He can now play Oldest and Wisest, damning the new meanness more in sorrow than in anger."
Read the whole thing.
I agree with her when she adds, towards the end, that she thinks sometimes this won't be a life-changing election, even though, when elections come, we always say they will be exactly that. I feel that too. Indeed, I know it; neither McCain nor Obama will turn out to be huge radicals in the policies they follow. That doesn't mean one candidate isn't better than the other, however...
