Are you feeling anxious about the results of the US election? Well, get in line
You know it's bad if Sesame Street called Elmo.
“Stop scrolling, take a breath, and use the next few minutes to escape to a place where the air is good,” said the beloved children's show in a post on X this morning, US election day in one of the most divisive areas. White House races in recent memory.
In the post office, the camera pans over Elmo sitting quietly among the potted flowers. It's sunny. The only sound is the chirping of birds. It's calm. It's cool. It's all different today as people in the US and around the world watch the election results with a mixture of hope and anxiety… weighed down by worry.
“You know it's almost Election Day when the cast of Sesame Street has to wage a united campaign to stop us from having another Civil War,” wrote X user Melissa Turkington, nodding to Grover, Cookie Monster, Ernie, Bert. , Big Bird and Rosita all posted the same cute messages in the last 24 hours.
“My son will be watching you in an hour while I forget,” the user replied to X.
“Who knew we would still be checking our children's homes to get reassurance that everything will be okay,” wrote another. It was in response to another post by Grover saying, “We all go through times when things feel weird, and that's okay. Remember, you're not alone.”
If you're feeling anxious today, you're not alone. A new poll from the AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research finds that nearly seven in 10 Americans report being worried or frustrated about the 2024 presidential campaign.
And Canadians will be watching the results in horror, knowing that they have no control over the outcome that will affect them. Polls show that US Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump are neck and neck.
“I'm worried about the US election … even though I'm Canadian,” wrote The Weather Network's Kim MacDonald on X on Sunday.
“In my life, I have never felt so empty. Waiting for the decision of the American voters on Tuesday night – whenever we get the official result – has left me worried. I'm sure I'm not alone,” wrote Montreal. Gazette columnist Allison Hanes in an op-ed published this morning.
As election day approached in the US, voters in swing states were feeling anxious about the results – and the unrest that might follow. Many Atlanta residents said they were exercising or pursuing hobbies to take their mind off the news, while one woman in Scottsdale, Ariz., said she would be watching the results with 'my Xanax and my bottle of Sauvignon Blanc.'
Emotions ran high
According to a poll by the AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, some groups are more worried than they were four years ago, even though that election took place in the midst of a deadly pandemic. In 2020, an AP-NORC poll found that nearly two-thirds of Americans were worried about the election, which was not statistically significant in the new result.
But for partisans, the concern is called a little high. About eight in 10 Democrats say anxiety explains how they feel now, up slightly from about three in the last election. About two-thirds of Republicans are concerned, up from an average of about six in 10 in 2020.
Meanwhile, the candidates offered closing arguments that differed greatly from each other. Harris argued that Trump is too focused on revenge and his personal needs, and Trump called Harris at a Sunday night rally “a train wreck who destroyed everything in his path.”
Tien Nguyen, 34, who works in the technology industry in Philadelphia, planned to have friends over Tuesday night for what he called an “Election Night Anxiety Fest.”
“We're going to eat our emotions,” Nguyen said as he waited for the Harris meeting to begin in Philadelphia.
“This time, I know I'm going to be very worried, and I want people around,” she said.
'There's nothing we can do to stop you'
Of course, emotions are high north of the border, too.
“Any election in the US is important and has an impact on us,” said Kirsten Hillman, Canada's ambassador to the United States. “They are the backbone of our economic prosperity. They are important security partners.”
CBC Comedy This hour has 22 minutes posted a throwback piece this week with the caption, “the pressure of the 2016 election [meets] The pressure of the 2024 election.”
In the video, actress Susan Kent shouts, “I'm under the pressure of the Canadian election!” while trying to catch his breath. “There's nothing we can do to stop you!”
“No this election has stuck with me as a Canadian woman,” one person commented on the TikTok post.
Experts have called this election the sexiest in history. Trump appointed three US Supreme Court justices who formed the dissenting majority that overturned federal abortion rights. As disagreements over the 2022 resolution flare up, he has spoken at public events and on social media saying he will “protect women” and ensure they “will not think about abortion.”
“I had to stop watching the election coverage because I was so close to being attacked for fear of being depressed,” commented a TikTok user called “Canadian Hermit”. This hour has 22 minutes.
“I'm so sorry neighbor,” another commenter added. “We as Americans are hanging on by a thread.”
Come in Sesame Street and its wise counsel.
“It's okay to take a break today — even better if it includes cookies,” Cookie Monster wrote on X.
