I stayed up all night to watch the coverage on CNN (Virginian expat in Germany here) and dozed off once or twice. I awoke at about 10 minutes of 5 am (which, FYI? Early.) just in time to see Virginia and Florida called for Obama, and then to see the election called when the West Coast states closed their polls.
Excited doesn’t cover it – even though the math had been clear since Ohio went blue, I just refused to let myself count the chickeny electoral votes until they had hatched. I really surprised myself by how emotional my reaction was – and it kept going, every time I looked over the crowd in Grant Park, when I saw Jesse Jackson crying, when that beautiful family came out – but I broke into open weeping when Obama spoke.
Finally. I’ve lived overseas for the entire Bush administration, and I’ve seen firsthand what has happened to America’s image and reputation in that time. I’m not articulate enough to express how it feels to hear words of inclusion again.
This is the America I have loved my entire life – the America that just elected its first black President. The America that just chose hope and future and optimism and intelligence and diplomacy over fear and suspicion and war and division and belligerence.
After having read the majority of responses in this thread, I can see why Cecil says that it’s taking longer than we thought.
You bozos elected a Marxist. Let’s see how happy you are after he jacks up the taxes to pay for his “redistribution of wealth”. Let’s see how happy you are when the next Al-Queda attack happens in the USA and he sits in the White House holding his dick like Carter did during the hostage crisis.
Clothahump let’s each take a page from our respective party leaders and play nice today. The mud wrestling starts again in January.
Whether your fears come true or not (and we both hope they don’t!) please remember these feelings the next time your guy wins. I know I’m less inclined to gloat having experienced election losses when I thought my guy was infinitely better than the other guy. I’ll celebrate yes, but not gloat. (Um, let me know if I cross that line - 'mkay? It’s kinda hard to tell. Thanks!)
“Marxist” is a bit much, but the “Jimmy Carter” thing is a not unreasonable concern. IMO, Obama has advantages over Jimmy:
He’s worked on Capital Hill, so he has at least one frigging clue how it works. Even one tiny clue would be more than Jimmy had. :rolleyes:
He’s got Jimmy’s bad example. He’ll make his own mistakes.
He is poised to staff his cabinet and advisers with a wide group of experienced people, not just his close (and inexperienced) pals.
He knows there are multiple serious crises NOW, and is preparing to deal with them. To the extent he hasn’t prepared already.
If Obama’s White House runs half as well as his campaign, we are in for a very smooth ride.
Maybe I’m buying into my own side’s propaganda. That’s why we need your side to keep us honest.
It wasn’t a Democrat who sat there plaing with little kids and apparently feeling there was nothing better to do when American was attacked on 9/11. That was the single biggest “president’s dick in his hand” moment I’ve ever heard of. Unless you count Stalin burying his head in the sand after after Hitler attacked.
