As the race comes closer to its end, how are you feeling? Read a perspective in the News’ Forum:

John Aroutiounian, Guest Columnist | Sophomore in Jonathan Edwards College

Republicans may or may win the presidential election this year, but this time — at least compared to last time around, which was a sleeper of a race as far as Republican offices around the country were concerned — they’ve campaigned like a party shocked back to life.

I remember walking into regional Republican campaign offices throughout the swing-y regions of northern Kentucky and Ohio in 2008. There were usually one or two lonely senior citizens making calls. Campaign paraphernalia was in short supply. The entire operation felt like a dead man walking, because, well, it was. The night before the election, as I walked out of GOP headquarters after making a last round of dispirited phone calls, the regional coordinator called out to me to take the last of the yard signs — “Honey, why don’t you just take these and put them up around?”

But this weekend, I traveled to New Hampshire — the swingiest of swing states — to volunteer. I got to see what the mood was like there. The office was packed, the phones were ringing and random citizens were coming in for all sorts of Romney gear. Volunteers brought their babies and their dogs. Others supplied donuts, and a continuous stream of coffee flowed. Whether or not we were projected to win, the 2008-era resignation was gone. Entire streets were lined with Romney yard signs; we knocked on door after door to receive smiling assurances that Romney had the support of someone living inside.

This is all anecdotal evidence, of course. Romney may or may not win tonight, but Republicans are back to compete on a presidential level. Whether it will be enough to counter the Democratic turnout advantage remains to be seen, but what’s certain is that if the election were decided by independents, as Politico reported, Romney would win in a landslide.

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