In case you’ve been living under a rock for the last 24 hours, let me be the first to tell you: Obama was elected last night. …And the sky has yet to fall …And hell has yet to freeze over.
America is still the nation we were yesterday: slightly center-right and pro-family. Obama hasn’t given away the nuclear codes or promised to sell Alaska back (get rid of Sarah Palin?), and doesn’t seem to be taking many meetings with William Ayers or any of his other ‘terrorist friends.’
Where is the devil child I was warned about? How disappointing.
In all seriousness, I stayed up last night to hear Obama’s speech, and he totally got me jazzed up. He has a clear, consistent vision of our country.
This particular line resonated with me:
To those who would tear this world down – we will defeat you. To those who seek peace and security – we support you. And to all those who have wondered if Americas beacon still burns as bright – tonight we proved once more that the true strength of our nation comes not from our the might of our arms or the scale of our wealth, but from the enduring power of our ideals: democracy, liberty, opportunity, and unyielding hope.
It sure is nice to hear this said out loud. Obama understands that we are not the world’s leader because of military or wealth, but that our ideals have led us to become strong and wealthy. Indeed, commitment to this country’s ideals are what makes our military so strong.
While we differ on how to go about certain things (i.e. health care), I don’t fear an Obama presidency. (I do slightly fear Pelosi and Reid, though. They’re nuts!) I feel like he will be measured and thoughtful, and am hopeful that he will govern for all people, not just for the left wing.
He has made clear promises regarding taxes, promises I’m comfortable with, which he will be forever shackled to. (Anyone remember “Read my lips…”?)
Obama talks a lot about hope. I have hopes for the future, and he promised last night to be my president, too. So here are my hopes, President-Elect Obama:
- I hope you can keep us safe
- I hope you can restore a healthy economy (bubble-less)
- I hope you can raise the world’s faith and confidence in our nation
- I hope you will keep your tax promises
- I hope you will restore fiscal responsibility to our government spending
- I hope you can inspire congress and the other branches of government to action, just as you have inspired the American voter
- I hope you will cut waste out of government
- I hope you will have the courage to say NO to Congress when necessary
- I hope you will find a way to assist those who cannot afford healthcare without destroying the healthcare industry or spending massive amounts of tax dollars.
The truth is, I’m sitting firmly in the ‘wait-and-see’ camp. I am hopeful for the future, excited for a change next January, and just hope we end up perfecting the union rather than driving it into the ground.
On Race
Obama’s win will hopefully signal a shift for American thought. We are entering a post-racial time – where your being African-American should be a small footnote to your being an American. It is no longer an “us vs them”, “black vs white” country. We all share the same opportunities in contemporary society. Just go out and get them! (See my other post on race for more…)
Regarding the Media
It is incredible to read the papers, listen to the radio, and watch TV. Media personalities the country over are just hung-over with happiness at the Obama win. There isn’t a single story or pundit talking about “what went wrong yesterday.” The story is, “YIPEEEEEEEEEEE!”
Yes, the media is biased. So what. Learn to think for yourself.
A Local Defeat for WhiteEyebrows…
We had a local school district property tax increase on the ballot this year in my city… which looks like it will pass. What are they thinking? A tax hike in the current economic climate? What a great idea! We already have one of the highest tax rates in the county… and they call themselves Republicans…
I want my $200 back, thank you very much!
In California…
Proposition 8 appears to be passing by a narrow margin, with some provisional and absentee ballots yet to be factored in. With a sweeping Democratic victory for Obama, driven by huge Democratic turnout, I thought Prop 8 wouldn’t have a chance. I guess I was wrong.
I have dear friends on both sides of this battle, so I knew it would be very emotional either way. All I can say is for everyone to just relax. No real rights to homosexuals were lost by this proposition passing. Sure, now homosexuals won’t enjoy the long-standing legal precedent that accompanies the word “marriage,” but is that such a bad thing? Just think, my dear gay friends, if you have your own legal definition of a homosexual union, you can also create your own legal definition of a homosexual divorce… maybe even have special laws governing distribution of Barbra Streisand records
(Oh relax… nothing like a good laugh over a stereotype…)
Hay Brows, thanks for the post…pretty darn good. Yes, life goes on and I suppose that America will be what we American citizens work hard to make happen…involvement in community and civic affairs. One note, I think we have to say thanks to the black race vote for the results of the Cal. prop. 8 measure outcome. It appears that they oppose the gay and leisban movement more than the white race. Time will tell and everyone needs to be positive as we move forward to face the future of America. A second note, on taxes for better education, we don’t think anything about spending $100 or more for a broadway show or professional sporting event, but go crazy when they raise property taxes $100 a year to help cover the cost of said education. Just a thought.
Wonderful post. It is the reason I read the blog in the first place. Level headed and clear. I loved the “Barbara Streisand” poke!
Got to give “The Grape” the thumbs up on the education spending consideration. I know that we don’t spend enough on our schools. In the end I’d bet you’re really more concerned about how much the schools can be trusted to manage that money as opposed the the extra money itself. Either way, it sounds like it is a done deal.
when I read the Grapes comment It makes me think of a comment I made to my wife when watching the crowd in Chicago responding to Barack’s election/speech. I said well we now have an “American Idol” president. what triggered my comment was watching all those people crying and acting so “star struck” in his presence. I think we have evolved into an overstimulated, entertained society. correct me if I am wrong but it seems people are easily manipulated and moved emotionally to get them to do certain things. It seems a lot of people do not want to detach from their emotional experineces to look at things from a logical and objective perspective.
I think ‘Brows had a good commentary on this phenomenon in his blog “And Thus We Were Manipulated.”
Quoting: “I’ve really picked on my church here in this blog, mostly because they’re an easy target based on my long history with them. But these same principles apply to all media out there. As a society, we consume media too much like we consume fast food – without any care as to its actual contents.
“I get sick of TV shows and films which require me to think or feel a certain way. The extremely didactic Michael Moore documentaries and a plethora of other TV media come to mind.
“So my plea? Don’t be a blind consumer of media. Don’t just sit back and bottom feed on whatever sludge is thrown your way, no matter how much you trust the source. Become a fine media connoisseur, just as you might become a connoisseur of fine foods. Don’t settle for mere table scraps. Don’t allow yourself to be manipulated by something. Question it. Poke at it. Ask it if it’s being honest with you and the universe.”
Hear, hear!!