November 5, 2008

• This Just In: A Change for America

  "President-elect Obama faces daunting challenges"
  By TERENCE HUNT, Associated Press Writer – 3 mins ago

  WASHINGTON – His name etched in history as America's first black president-elect, Barack Obama turned Wednesday from the jubilation of victory to the sobering challenge of leading a nation worried about economic crisis, two unfinished wars and global uncertainty.

  "The road ahead will be long. Our climb will be steep," Obama cautioned.

  Young and charismatic but with little experience on the national level, Obama smashed through racial barriers and easily defeated Republican John McCain to become the first African-American destined to sit in the Oval Office, America's 44th president. He was the first Democrat to receive more than 50 percent of the popular vote since Jimmy Carter in 1976.
  

  Barack Obama's Acceptance Speech: 11/04/08 (from MSNBC video)

  ---

  A personal assessment.

  In my blog entry for November 3rd, 2004, I wrote:  "...once, I even had a nightmare vision of the country with Bush at the reins for another four years...I have the same queasy feeling as I write this that I did in 2000, when my candidate of choice, Al Gore, won the election, and was given the popular vote on television... I believe Bush "used" the attacks on the WTC to "scare" the American public so that he could invade Iraq and finish the job his father didn't in 1991, during the first Gulf War. I was certainly hoping that the majority of Americans didn't "fall for this", but looking at the numbers, it seems that fear trumped intelligence and rationality at the polls...I won't give up my hope that Bush (whom I've labeled the "Antichrist" in other blog entries) will be "fired" by the American People. But I don't feel as well as I should looking at the numbers this morning. It's going to be a weird few days. That's for sure..."

  I voted right after work at around 4pm yesterday afternoon. All day I'd been reading on the internet that there were long lines and an unprecedented turnout. As usual, at my polling place in the small town of Lomita, there were no lines and I easily breezed through the process, solidly inking "Obama" on the front page of the ballot. After 2000 and 2004, I didn't want to get my hopes up too high. Talking to people at work who are staunch Republicans, I have been extremely upset to hear otherwise intelligent people talk about how Sarah Palin was a great choice for V.P. among other things this election. My candidate (mentioned at the end of my 2004 blog entry) was Hillary Clinton. Before the Democratic convention, when Obama's momentum seemed positive, I, like Hillary, began to support him. I read more about him, listened to more of his speeches, and began to get immersed in the historical precedent happening in my lifetime. As a Democrat, I would vote for the party's candidate, and the Obama machine ran right over the Clinton candidacy, and I easily switched sides for solidarity's sake.

  Throughout the day I got some queasy feelings that McCain (and his horrible choice for veep) might just win. I don't like to believe "polls" which don't tell the whole story. I saw more and more "blue" states on the electoral maps, but I kept my celebratory feelings to myself. I didn't want my hopes dashed as they were in 2000 and 2004. (At least I respect McCain more than I ever did Bushie, so I wouldn't have been that devastated if he won.

  The pain in my leg, which is getting worse with time, caused me to take a pain pill before 6pm last night, and I nodded out at around 6:30. I awoke right before 8pm and turned on the TV. I usually don't watch TV news, but I fell into an old habit, jumping from ABC to CBS to NBC to Fox to CNN. At 8pm, all within seconds of each other, the election was called for Obama. He needed 270 electoral votes. He had over 300 at 8pm. The final tally (as of this writing, and reported by CNN's website: ) 338 to 163. As reported by the AP in the article excerpted at the top of this entry, not since Jimmy Carter has a Democratic candidate gained more than 50 per cent of the vote. Obama won the popular vote as well, although not as overwhelmingly. (62,682,389 vs. 55,543,527)

  History has been made. I watched both McCain's and Obama's election night speeches. McCain was gracious and upright. He shussed his audience in Arizona each time they began to boo Obama. I actually felt sorry for him. He ran in 2000 against Bush but lost, and at 72 will probably not be running again. McCain seemed ready to embrace the historical precedent, and the new president elect. Some of the blog articles I've read this morning by his supporters have not been as gracious. I was so impressed with Obama's speech I embed it in this blog entry. I feel as if America has turned a page. We have a Democratic congress and a Democratic President, after eight years of indecision and bad choices. We have a chance to not only change history, but to become a better country in the eyes of the world, where America had sunk to new lows during the Bush presidency.

  For me, it doesn't matter whether Barack Obama is black or white. I kind of like the fact that he is "multiracial." Just like my beloved Los Angeles. America is not an old white boy's country any more. We're a much more diversified and vibrant country now than we have ever been. Obama will succeed and America will succeed. Looking at all the beaming faces shown in Times Square and in Chicago where Obama spoke made me feel better about living in America right now than I have felt in a long time.

  At least for eight years.

  "Fear trumped intelligence and rationality at the polls", I wrote in 2004. In 2008, I regained my faith in America and her people, my diversified brethren. This year, common sense and hope trumped the good ol boys. I took a new fresh breath of air this morning. I approach the work day with more vibrancy than I have in a long time. (I didn't even blanch at the fact that I had to tap my overdraft protection account for $317.00) The news is in, and it's good news. Great news. Hooray for America.

  Yes, we can. And we did!

  • 10:04 am
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