“Just a couple of weeks ago, a lot of Democrats were mad at Barack Obama. John McCain had crept ahead in some tracking polls, and Obama’s supporters were pleading with him to get tough and hit McCain where it hurts. … Now that Obama has moved into a lead of about six to eight points, Democrats have stopped getting mad and started getting anxious. Surely, the GOP has an October surprise up its sleeve. Or despite what they’re saying to pollsters, Americans just won’t elect a black man to the White House. Or Democrats will find a way, just as they have so often before, to screw things up. I hate to contribute to this anxiety, but there is one thing people haven’t been worried enough about: whether everyone who wants to vote will be able to, and whether everyone’s vote will actually be counted.” (10/07/08)