Well, it is official. Obama won!
I can't believe how relieved I feel. The 8 years of madness - the 8 years of "is this really my country?" feeling I had watching the Bush administration. For tonight, at least, it is gone.
About two weeks ago, I was at my wife Sandi's school visiting her second graders. As we were walking, I asked some of them if they had seen the debate the previous night. One, A'Lyn - a 7 year old African American - said, "Yes!" "Who did you like," I asked. "I like the bla-" and then he stopped himself. "I don't remember his name." "Barack Obama?" I asked. "Yes!" he said. And for him and his generation, the fact of a black being elected president will do more to change his casual notion of what is possible than any batch of policies.
I voted for Libertarians, Independents, and Citizen Party candidates. Before tonight, I had only voted for one candidate to actually win the presidency - Bill Clinton. That seemed to work out pretty well. I have as much confidence in Obama's ability to assemble a team and articulate strategies that will get us back on the right course.
Enough said. I am going to dance a for a little while now and hope that the person in room 213 below me isn't trying to sleep.
P.S. I just watched his speech. How brilliant. Finally, a leader who is thinking about how what we'll do will shape the next century - rather than reacting to the last year. The audacity of hope indeed.
As he took us back over the last century, I was reminded of a quote from Buckminster Fuller.
"Projection is like archery - the farther back you are able to draw your longbow, the farther ahead you can shoot."
R World (Ron Davison muses aloud)
Who the hell is trying to sleep right now?
ReplyDeleteDearest,
ReplyDeleteAn honest confession...this is the first time that I have ever felt that I would like to be an American citizen tonight listening to Obama.
Love,
Sandi
He brings inclusion, where all we have known for the past eight years exclusion.
ReplyDeleteA deep sigh, a smug smile, a glimmer of hope in the corner of my eye...I believe he can make something good of this mess. I guess he already has. Hope you get some rest after the high of this win wears off.
ReplyDeleteIt's cool to know that you voted for some libertarian candidates. I kind of like Bob Barr. Sorta. Not a whole lot. ;-)
ReplyDeleteJust get your purse all loosened up and ready to spill forth. The redistribution of income will come. Oh, and get ready to lose a few freedoms. Gotta have that fairness doctine, right? Nothing like more government intervention in the lives of a free people.
But hey, I truly do hope for the best. I do. He is my president, too.
Isn't it wonderful? Gee, the stock market has just taken it's largest two day post-election drop since 1900. You don't suppose it comes from O telling Wall St people they're about to become extinct? Or possibly from the government considering taking over 401Ks? Or the prospect of capital gains tax increases? Or coming curbs on CEO pay? Or getting rid of the coal industry? Why, he's already rehaping the future, what a guy.
ReplyDeleteDid you notice how the faces changed when O said things would be tough, change won't happen overnight, maybe even not until his next term? Tough? No quick change? Everyone's taxes could go up? Come on O, you've never said that before. Wrong, he's never lied about this. You just weren't listening.
However, imagine, it's cool to be an American again abroad. Except in Israel of course.
I too hope for the best Pinky. I can't wait to find out who "our" next president really is.
Emily,
ReplyDeleteWhen you are in a hotel on the east coast, you have to be sensitive to the possibility that even on election night people might be trying to sleep at midnight. Particularly in Ohio where there is a 50% chance that the person downstairs has the covers pulled up over his head.
Sandi,
You made me smile. Thanks.
LT,
Obama does seem committed to inclusion. I think with his background as community organizer, he might even find a way to act on those intentions.
Pinky,
if we have to pay for George W., we'll have to pay lots. Obama says that we won't have to pay more in taxes but I don't know how many years of a credit crisis we can take before paying for what we're getting.
Davos,
Two days of drop? It is going to be year of dropping stock market. If only it were just two days.