Well done Obama.
Very classy indeed of all those who weren’t Obama supporters being gracious in their congratulations. Hopefully we all can maintain our dignity and respect for one another even when we’re opposed. I’m so optimistic of a brighter tomorrow… not because of anything untangable like “change,” but because the essecence of democracy has shown us as humans first before party affiliation, race or anything else. We are to be believed in. Blessings on all our futures!
Hear, hear. Thanks, Starving Artist.
Well done America.
Many of us over here had begun to seriously doubt you over the last 4 years.
But you decided to move forward today. As a country - you stepped up to the plate and made the change. Congratulations.
I hope the positive momentum Obama has generated, will help us all get through the comming global shakedown.
Congratulations America, and thank you. We’ve all had a rough start to the 21st century and things were looking pretty bad for a while. There’s still some difficult times ahead of us but this… this feels like what the future should be like, you know?
well. I guess I’m glad he won. Didn’t vote for him, though
[FANFARE!]
Hell, yeah!
Congratulation America. Hope he lives up to your expectations. I for one shall try to refrain from referring to him as monkey in chief, chimp in chief, chimpy, etc. just to name a few of the more innocent things some people have called President Bush.
Bush earned the contempt with which he was treated. He was plainly an incompetent failure before getting selected to be President and went on to confirm that fact on a daily basis.
When Obama decides torturing people, pissing on the Constitution and invading countries for trumped up reasons in pursuit of an extremist ideology are great ideas he too will be rightly excoriated.
Not to criticize, but you take me to task for my statement and then cry and weep over Obama? I never cried and wept over any politician.
I respect the presidency. And I do that when Democrats are in office too. I served my entire Navy enlistment with Bill Clinton in the Oval Office, and while I never voted for him I never had issues taking orders that came ultimately from him.
So, how does this work? Do we turn in all of our possessions to the State now, or do we wait until inauguration day?
[Seriously, I am more proud of my country then I’ve ever been in my 30 years. To go from Dr. King’s dream to this reality in 4 decades is breathtaking. Wow.]
Amen.
My kids used to go to a private Christian school, where they prayed every day for the President. Then Clinton was elected, and he is pro-choice. They were devastated - one of my son’s teachers had to take the day off after the election.
And the day of the inauguration, Clinton’s picture was up in the classroom exactly as Bush Sr.'s was, and they prayed for Clinton by name just like they did for Bush. No difference now. Obama is our President.
No, cancel that. Obama is my President.
Huzzah for the next President and Vice President of the United States! We’ve truly turned a page and begun a new chapter in the history of this great republic. Despite the many challenges and the many hard decisions which lie ahead, I have complete confidence in Barack Obama’s intellect, insight, courage and political skills. He has the potential to be a great President, and I’m so glad that the American people have given him the chance.
Well done, sir.
Is this a grace period, or something you’ll stick with?
Something I’ll stick with.
I am sure you will be able to find any number of Dopers to agree that one can legitimately criticize a President, if you think he has screwed up.
Please see a doctor immediately. It’s quite possible you may be deceased. 
I’ve combined FriarTed and Starving Artist’s gracious threads, and as a poster, I’d like to say that I hope this level of class informs political discourse (or at least Great Debates!) as the Obama administration dawns and sets about its work.
Of course. In fact, I think you’d have trouble finding more than a handful of Dopers who didn’t think so. I was just curious as to whether you’re giving him a chance to be your President, so to speak, or if you’re simply acknowledging that he’s the President, and therefore your President, if that makes sense.
In other words, do you salute the man, or the office?
Congratulations to all you Americans for reviving hope.
Sitting here in Canada, I have to confess that I cried when the Obama victory was announced. I wished that several African-American friends of mine were alive to see this day.
I cried at McCain’s concession speech, he is indeed a class act. I won’t go into how he might have won had he…
Then I cried all the way through Obama’s speech too.
Happiness. Hope. The road ahead might be hard, but with hope and inspiration, humans can achieve a lot. Americans have proved that America can renew itself. I have confidence that the task ahead can be accomplished. A cartoon in today’s La Presse (Montreal) shows the old Uncle Sam poster, with Obama as Uncle Sam, saying “Now, I need you.”
I, too, am overjoyed at Obama’s election, for the many reasons already mentioned in this thread.
I didn’t cry for joy last night when Obama went over the top, nor did I cry for joy when I heard his Grant Park acceptance speech. I was just in too muck shock.
I also felt relief, most of all, and gratitude that the actual voting process worked fairly well and that the election was not in limbo due to election irregularities.
But I did break down and weep for joy in the shower this morning, much to my surprise … and my eyes have gotten teary while reading some of the posts in this thread.
Let’s rally behind this inspiring leader, and help him get the job done!