The votes are all tallied ... now what?
ELECTION | Activists seek ways to redirect campaign energy
Betsy Storm is elated -- and yet somehow at loose ends.
The Chicago volunteer worked on Barack Obama's campaign for 18 months, hosting college kids for "Camp Obama," making lunches for campaign staff, phone banking, traveling to Iowa. She even designed a "Mamas for Obama Know the Power of Voting" T-shirt that raised $1,000 for the campaign.
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So what is she supposed to do now? "The thrill of a winning campaign, especially a historic event like this one, is a tough act to follow," Storm says.
And Republicans who didn't see their candidate win office arguably feel worse.
Even if you weren't actively campaigning, odds are that you were keeping up with the race on the cable nightly talk shows, or obsessively clicking online for the latest poll results, or opining loudly about Sarah Palin's wardrobe ethics.
It was all-consuming entertainment of the first order.
And now you feel ... empty. How do you fill this void?
Psychologist Lester Lefton advises us to to take heart. "Americans are among the most resilient people on this planet," he says. "We will all be fine."
You too, Republicans. "For those Americans whose candidate did not prevail, time is your best friend," Lester says. "Eventually you will adjust and recognize the country is not falling apart simply because the 'other' candidate is in office. And soon these proud Americans will begin to refocus their energies."
Miggie Greenberg, assistant professor of psychiatry at Saint Louis University, says this transitional time is an opportunity. "We can use our newly reclaimed time in other types of civic involvement, like volunteering for a cause we believe in, or we can rediscover hobbies that have been placed on the back burner," Greenberg says. "It's also important to reconnect with other people who share our same values, which can be validating.
"And, if all else fails to cheer you up, remember -- the next presidential election is only four short years away."
A few suggestions for post-election pastimes:
1. "The first thing to obsess on is what kind of dog they're going to get," says Marian Salzman, a futurist and trendspotter.
2. If you're addicted to polls, visit www.buzzdash.com. It's a social polling site with more than 13,000 live polls -- and a participant named "Chicago Mike" who is given to asking questions like, "Who would win if the 1972 Dolphins played the 1942 Chicago Bears?"
3. Train for a marathon. Imagine if you redirected all that mental energy into physical energy.
4. Publicly endorse a candidate for the Oscar race.
5. Get involved in community service. "The really wonderful thing we've learned from the Obama campaign is that people can make an incremental difference by giving $2 and $5," Salzman says. "You don't have to be a large donor to make a difference. And I think that's a message of real hope for people." Betsy Storm plans to step up her work with Heifer International.
6. Work for the environment, either by greening your own life or getting out the word to others. You can never do enough -- and it's a cause that's not likely to resolve itself anytime soon.
7. Fall in love. Barack and Michelle Obama, a genuinely loving partnership, could set the tone for the country. This is not likely to be a "Sex and the City" era, but a time to settle down. It makes good financial sense, too.
8. Spend more time with your family, and entertain at home. Until the economy sorts itself out, the emphasis will be on simple pleasures. "We'll be eating a lot of very good soup," Salzman predicts.