A political forecast

Some would declare America a disaster area.

The hurricane-force winds of another election season have left her national soul pockmarked with rancor, incivility and polarization.

Many of her elderly folks are so mad they can't keep their uppers - we mean, tempers - in place. At the other end of the spectrum, an entire generation doesn't appear to give a damn what's happening outside their Facebook bubbles. And in between, weary breadwinners and housekeepers struggle mightily not just to get ahead anymore, but to keep from falling hopelessly behind.

If this isn't a disaster, what is?

With an important election just around the bend, there is another way to look at this. It's a storm. Unlike any other country in the history of the planet, America has always rallied admirably in the wake of disasters, man-made and otherwise. We believe she'll do it again - whether you call the storm Sandy, Obama or Luna.

We do not subscribe to the theory that the game of life will be won or lost on Tuesday night. We do believe that if citizens take a deep breath, count their blessings and pull together as American citizens, they can handle just about anything.

Please vote for the candidates who will best prepare our communities, our state and our nation for the storms ahead. What's unusual isn't the type or intensity of storms, but the resolve of everyday Americans.