Thank you all. This is a beautiful day.
I'm choked up again. It's an overwhelming feeling. I couldn't have imagined a better scenario that what we have. For years we have been counting down to January 20, 2009 as Bush's last day. We were ready for somebody new. Anybody new. And now, instead of suffering through to one bad president's last day, we are looking ahead to Obama's first day. Optimism feels good. Let's bask in this rejuivination.
I have described politics as my football. I couldn't care less about the Giants or the Pats, but I'm a die-hard fan of democracy. As I drove through the cheering, honking crowds last night, celebrated with my own family and friends and watched the beautiful people gathered on television, I did not feel like my team had won the superbowl. I realized something much bigger is happening. This time things are different. This feels like an awakening.
No matter what happens from here, no matter what kind of President Obama makes, right now, right this very second, I have never felt more proud to be American. I have never felt more confident to hold my head up as a citizen of this great nation. We did an incredible thing yesterday.
As we all know, Barack Obama has a very hard road ahead of him. His campaign was easy compared to what lies ahead. I believe his team (including all of us) can do this. I really do believe. Barack Obama melts my cynicism like no politician has in history. He has reframed my mind as much as he has reframed Republican rhetoric. He has overcome a racial barrier, the fear and the hate that stood in his way thus far. Many of us felt his presidency would be impossible dream, but we have done this with him.
This campaign is not over. There is still deep-rooted fear in all of our hearts and we cannot look away now. Together we can continue to change this place, and ourselves. We can continue to wake up. We can find love and peace. Yes we can.
5 comments:
Let's try some mixed feelings instead. I wholeheartedly share the excitement and enthusiasm about President Elect Obama. What tempers this feeling is the fact that 3 states, including one of the most liberal, institutionalized homophobia.
I think the good news for gay rights has to be that gays are just being voted against and not (often) murdered. So as much of a blow as the 4th might have been for the fair and unbiased treatment of homosexuals by the government, compared to other civil rights issues, gays are doing pretty well historically.
Also, the Alaskan electorate should be embarrassed. The country realized this election who you have been voting for, and that you continue to vote for them, even after the convictions.
This is the first time a politician I voted for on the national level has actually won. Incredible!
I'm not necessarily enthusiastic about Obama himself, he is too liberal for my taste. At the moment though, I'd much rather see a tax and spend liberal than a borrow and spend-more "conservative." He is pragmatic and while he may not always make decisions I agree with, I feel good knowing he will actually give them thought.
Hopefully the Republican party will take this as a cue to change--to get back to the original ideals of the party and stop pandering to the evangelicals as started by Reagan. Otherwise, if they continue down this path and really view Palin as the future of the party, they will start hemorrhaging constituents. The exodus has already begun, leaving many without representation!
Here is a really interesting article on what the Republican party is supposed to stand for, a funny interpretation of what it stands for now, and a call-to-action to split in two.
Notice #2 of the Republican ideals is [paraphrased] civil rights for all! This is not where they stand today and will become one of their downfalls if they refuse to evolve. Right, but Christians don't believe in evolution.
You make solid points, Rob, and I agree with you. These things weigh heavily on my mind, too. Living in CA right now and watching Prop 8 pass was a big blow. Of all states to constitutionalize discrimination, this is an ironic one from where I stand. But the "inland empire" is still filled with a lot of ignorant, irrational fear. And Alaska's Stevens election! I can't even wrap my head around that. To think of committed, loving gay couples are a bigger threat than a lying felon in office is beyond me. The stories I am hearing about upstate NY Obama haters are not any more settling. These are exactly the things we need to keep paying attention to. November 4th was far from the dawn of a utopia. We have to keep working at this. It's unfortunate we did not get a clean sweep this time, but I think winning the rights that gay people deserve is only a matter of time. Unlike the forecasting of those naysayers of my teen years, I am only feeling more politically progressive as I age (I'm not the only one). With this president elect, I'm optimistically progressive for the first time.
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