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w22dheartlivie 
"Kitty Lover"
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 Posted - 11/05/2008 : 06:29:43
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It is. November 4, 2008 will be remembered as a key date in American history. It is a great day. I went to the polls, I cast my vote and I hoped. I'd given this a lot of thought and I knew who I would vote for, but honestly, I'd not been choosing the winner for quite a long time. In that, I was feeling a bit like Ben Affleck. In his monologue on Saturday Night Live, he announced that over the years, he'd back political candidates on a regular basis. Candidates like Michael Dukakis, Al Gore, John Kerry, and a litany of local politicians. However, he'd come to realize his endorsement might be a jinx, so he was taking that occasion to announce his endorsement for John McCain. I felt his pain.
In any case, I voted. And I waited, watching the returns all evening. I wasn't prepared, however, for the emotions I felt when Barack Obama was declared the winner of this election. It had occurred to me what a momentous occasion this would be in the history of equality in this country, but watching it happen, was quite astounding. I'm proud of this country. I'm proud that such a huge number of people cared enough about this country's future that a record number and preponderance of registered voters went to the polls. I'm proud that many who may never have crossed the party lines before did so this time. I'm proud that such a high percentage of voters were first time voters. I'm proud that the president was elected by the best cross-section of the populace that has ever voted. I'm proud that the bastions of Republican conservativism - Ohio, my own Indiana and in the biggest turn-around-by-a-Southern-good-old-boy-state-in-a-decade, North Carolina - didn't fall back on the same old, same old. I'm proud that the words of the naysayers were proven wrong. Less than forty five years ago, people were murdered during an attempt to register black voters in Mississippi. In such a short time, it's a huge leap in the progress of this country that yesterday, a black man was elected president. I'm proud that my niece's babies will never be able to remember a time when a person of color couldn't get elected to the highest office in the country. I'm proud that we've possibly vindicated the founding fathers, who posited that all men are created equal. I'm relieved that some of the ideals of the 60s (1860s AND 1960s) may be coming to fruition.
Idealist? Yeah. I think I've always been. Idealism? I think it might have a flicker of life left. I was inspired by Obama's acceptance speech. I look forward to the future, even as he comes into a governmental mess. The Supreme Court is aging, some very interesting times are upon us. I was inspired by John McCain's concession speech. In the end, he showed himself to be a gracious man. My reaction to it was "Wow. This guy might have won if he'd spoken as eloquently as he did last night." In any case, I'm proud that I've seen this in my lifetime. It may be worth sticking around for. |
Edited by - w22dheartlivie on 11/05/2008 08:20:54 |
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GHcool 
"Forever a curious character."
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Posted - 11/05/2008 : 07:16:40
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| I agree wholeheartedly. A famous African American radio commentator whose name escapes me for the moment said something really interesting. He said he was extremely happy and excited for Obama's presidency, however he expressed the hope that Obama doesn't "lose his soul" once he is president. That expression of caution reminded me of Leland's request to keep Kane's "Declaration of Principles." Still, I'm excited for Obama and excited for the United States. |
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rockfsh 
"Laugh, Love, Cheer"
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Posted - 11/05/2008 : 07:34:40
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| Obama took Ohio, Florida and Virginia as I predicted. It is a landslide. In Hawai'i, he has 73% of the vote. |
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Sean
"Necrosphenisciform anthropophagist."
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Posted - 11/05/2008 : 08:16:34
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One good outcome of this election is that in US politics nobody needs to bother talking about race again, as it's obviously irrelevant. 
I was pretty disgusted in 2004 when (IMO) there was an overwhelming case for terminating an administration with extreme prejudice, but too many voters didn't agree (I put that down to a lack of respect for the lives of people with a different skin colour, different language, and different culture on the other side of the world). But my faith in the US voters has now been restored. The party who treated the voters with disrespect by assuming they would vote on image and appearance has been rejected.
I also think this is a good day for the world's economies, as Obama + Dems are going to find it easier to make the essential changes to the financial sector than McCain + Reps would have done.
It's all good.  |
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ChocolateLady
"500 Chocolate Delights"
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Posted - 11/05/2008 : 08:52:53
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quote:
Originally posted by wildheart9livie
I was inspired by John McCain's concession speech. In the end, he showed himself to be a gracious man. My reaction to it was "Wow. This guy might have won if he'd spoken as eloquently as he did last night."
Exactly as I was thinking!
When I mentioned that I thought McCain's big mistake was taking Palin as his VP, my younger son described her as "the bird that flew into the airplane engine of McCain's campaign" (well, something like that - he said it in Hebrew).
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Conan The Westy
"Father, Faithful Friend, Fwiffer"
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Posted - 11/05/2008 : 10:54:53
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quote:
Originally posted by ChocolateLady
When I mentioned that I thought McCain's big mistake was taking Palin as his VP, my younger son described her as "the bird that flew into the airplane engine of McCain's campaign" (well, something like that - he said it in Hebrew).
She made it a lot more fun than Joe Biden anyway.  |
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Sean
"Necrosphenisciform anthropophagist."
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Posted - 11/05/2008 : 11:33:55
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Black Man Given Nation's Worst Job
November 5, 2008 | Issue 44-45
WASHINGTON - African-American man Barack Obama, 47, was given the least-desirable job in the entire country Tuesday when he was elected president of the United States of America. In his new high-stress, low-reward position, Obama will be charged with such tasks as completely overhauling the nation's broken-down economy, repairing the crumbling infrastructure, and generally having to please more than 300 million Americans and cater to their every whim on a daily basis. As part of his duties, the black man will have to spend four to eight years cleaning up the messes other people left behind. The job comes with such intense scrutiny and so certain a guarantee of failure that only one other person even bothered applying for it. Said scholar and activist Mark L. Denton, "It just goes to show you that, in this country, a black man still can't catch a break."
http://www.theonion.com/content/news_briefs/black_man_given_nations
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Edited by - Sean on 11/05/2008 11:35:03 |
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Whippersnapper. 
"A fourword thinking guy."
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Posted - 11/05/2008 : 12:05:41
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A sad day for MguyX though! 
His dreams of becoming the first African-American President are shattered.
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Beanmimo
"August review site"
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Posted - 11/05/2008 : 14:44:31
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If I'd been a betting man i'd have backed Obama
Well done America |
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mampers11 
"Lazy Lebowski Loses Rug"
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Posted - 11/05/2008 : 15:02:02
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Well I am glad to have been in America watching the final days of the election and to watch such a historical day in U.S. It is one of those days that will be up there with the moon landing. This is a day that people will remember what they were doing when they heard the news of Obama is the first black president. Now I do hope he lives up to his promise, which seems that could be the case.
On McCain, he fought a good fight and though there was some Republican negative ads at the end, he took the defeat graciously.
I think this has been the most interesting election in the US for a while, with a lot of highs and lows and kept a foreigner like me entertained.
Mampers (sorry for the rambling, I am yet again at 6.30)
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duh
"catpurrs"
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Posted - 11/05/2008 : 16:27:07
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A man who has dark skin pigmentation studied hard, worked hard, and skillfully created alliances between the people around him of all colors, to win the Presidency. Our expectations of people have been raised. Will this give some young people of color the message that they no longer need to fear "acting white" if they do well in school?
I voted for McCain, but today, I am feeling nonetheless hopeful that our country's economy will improve under Obama's leadership. That he was able to take the Democratic nomination that for so long had Hillary's name on it and that he was able to so quickly rise from obscurity to the presidency, shows astonishing skill. Imagine that same skill applied to our economy!
I am concerned about what will happen to our military people. I remember how hard life became for them under the Carter administration. Lots of young people, including young people of color, use the military as their stepping stone to a career. I hope that the new administration won't jerk all funding out from under them.
Perhaps he will reinvent the military somewhat as Clinton did, into an international "meals on wheels." Our National Guard is already performing that function to a degree, in Afghanistan. My husband has been assigned to a group of citizen soldiers that have agricultural expertise, who will work in Afghanistan for a year.
I visited with another Guardsman (a cattle rancher) who recently returned from Afghanistan and who feels a great sense of satisfaction from the work he did there with the farmers. He said that one time, he pregnancy checked and treated 150 donkeys!
As a woman who is non-girly, I anticipate that Michelle Obama is going to be shoved down our throats to the point that I'll feel like throwing up. She is beautiful and fashionable and will be on the cover of every women's magazine every month. Now, if she could field dress a moose, I'd be impressed. ;)
As one from a heavily agricultural state, I worry about how farmers will fare under Obama. On paper, most farmers may appear "wealthy" because of the value of their land and equipment. Yet, they have very little in the way of cash. Farming is something one does because one loves the life, not to become wealthy. Yet, their role is absolutely essential.
ETA: I was thinking of how similar, in many ways, Obama and his family are to John and Jackie Kennedy. They were often referred to as "Camelot." Then I went and registered the domains, BlackCamelot.com and BlackCamelot.net and ObamaCamelot.com and ObamaCamelot.net
Probably wasted my money, but it seemed like a good idea at the moment.
Any ideas what I should do with them? I'd be happy to set them up as a group contribution site for multiple authors. |
Edited by - duh on 11/05/2008 17:08:36 |
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Chris C
"Four words, never backwards."
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Posted - 11/05/2008 : 17:51:10
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Well done the USA - I believe that the world has seen a small revolution and we are all now waiting for America to earn back the respect it lost during the Dubya years.
Good luck one and all. I hope that Mr Obama delivers for the USA and for the rest of us around the world. |
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silly
"That rabbit's DYNAMITE."
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Posted - 11/05/2008 : 18:11:38
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Watching Chicago, last night, I felt the first real hope I have had in years that our country may be able to save itself.
That may sound dire, but the next few years are going to be extremely rough, I believe, and decisions that have already taken place will continue to affect us.
I feel that Obama may be able to build the type of government we need to help us through. We need all the help we can get.
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w22dheartlivie
"Kitty Lover"
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Posted - 11/05/2008 : 18:16:15
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quote:
Originally posted by duh Improper Username
ETA: I was thinking of how similar, in many ways, Obama and his family are to John and Jackie Kennedy. They were often referred to as "Camelot." Then I went and registered the domains, BlackCamelot.com and BlackCamelot.net and ObamaCamelot.com and ObamaCamelot.net
Probably wasted my money, but it seemed like a good idea at the moment.
Any ideas what I should do with them? I'd be happy to set them up as a group contribution site for multiple authors.
I'm not sure what to suggest about the websites, but I will say that the Kennedy comparison has occurred to me the last few days. Or at least the promise of it. Kennedy's presidency sparked a period of hope and social change that ultimately benefited all of us. I hold the same hopes today. |
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Wheelz
"FWFR%u2019ing like it%u2019s 1999"
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Posted - 11/05/2008 : 19:40:44
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There may never have been a president-elect who has faced higher expectations than Obama now faces. I tend to believe he'll be up to the task. His first key test will have to do with the people he chooses as his advisors and cabinet members. This will go a long way in setting the tone for his presidency.
As for the military, I can't foresee large-scale cuts in a post 9/11 world. Nobody seems to be arguing against a strong military; it's more a matter of allocating resources properly. I'd wager that the American people would not have objected to spending twice what the Iraq war has cost -- if it had been spent on getting bin Laden and destroying Al-Queda. They are the ones who attacked us, after all. Obama has pledged to do just that. Easier said than done, of course, but I believe he will prove to be much smarter about where we point our guns than the previous administration has been, while not shrinking from actually using the guns when necessary.
In any case, time will tell, as it always does. And while I do realize the historical significance of this election, from this point forward, Barack Obama's race is completely irrelevant. He must become the best President he can be for all of America. |
Edited by - Wheelz on 11/05/2008 19:43:56 |
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duh
"catpurrs"
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Posted - 11/05/2008 : 19:42:21
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CALL FOR COLLABORATORS
RE: blackcamelot.com, blackcamelot.net and obamacamelot.com and obamacamlet.net.
What I would like to do is set up a site, blackcamelot.com, and have the other three domains go to the same site. I'd like to set it up with so that a number of different authors of a wide variety of occupational, social, political and racial backgrounds--and from various countries, would be contributing content and collaborating. I want "real people," not professional political pundits.
I would like for there to be a healthy amount of humor as well.
Would you participate, and if you do, what would you like as your designated areas of specialization? Of course, all correspondents may write about anything, but I would like to have designated specialists. For example, I will take the agricultural "beat." I may call myself "The hayseed correspondent" unless someone can think of something more clever. My son will be "The resident gun nut." (We need at least one Canadian, to cover "The great white North." We need someone from California to cover "The land of fruits and nuts.")
Something else I would like to do is to declare the day that Obama takes the Oath of Office, to be "Everyone is Black today" Day. (As we say that everyone is Irish on St. Patrick's Day.)
If this is all totally tasteless and/or dull, say so. I guess tasteless would be OK, but dull would be bad.
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It's a Great Day in America
