Wednesday, November 5, 2008

Anticipation

It was a feeling like I remember as a child going to bed on Christmas Eve—wondering what lay in store for me in the morning. Eagerly hoping that it would be all I had dreamed of and more. And this time it was.

When I went to bed last night, Obama had won Ohio—a huge coup—and the results were turning in his favor from Virginia. Florida was still too soon to call, but it looked like my own state, North Carolina, was leaning in his direction. While there is still some debate about North Carolina, both Virginia and Florida went for Obama.

So history has been made. And now the work begins . . .


6 comments:

Anonymous said...

O'Brien made the same analogy last night regarding Christmas .... I fell asleep for about 20 minutes last night, then woke up and watched til 1:45 in the morning ... cried like a baby.

Rev Wes Isley said...

I was up til midnight--and watching all the celebrations in Grant Park and elsewhere really got me all choked up! I've never felt this way about a president, and I'm really proud of our country right now. I didn't see Obama's speech but I'm sure the news will replay excerpts.

Anonymous said...

I am very happy today, for this country, the world, and myself. I have a very positive feeling about the U.S. of A that I can't recall having in a very long time.

Having said that - [rant warning!] I have one teeny teeny tiny complaint - I am just a wee bit irked that the the media seems to be framing the importance of this victory solely in terms of the racial precedent. I don't know why this bothers me. It's true - it is a major deal, and I don't want to diminish what it must mean to African Americans. But I never viewed Obama's candidacy in those terms, nor did he, so I can't earnestly change that view just because he was elected so decisively to the presidency.

But I am looking at the meaning and importance of this win on so many other levels. It was a referendum on the Bush Administration and all its failures, a referendum on the Republican party and its policies, a referendum on an old school paradigm of campaign politics. A statement that we have raised the bar on what we expect from a candidate, the least of which is to state honestly why we would be better off if we elected him. A statement of recognition of the importance good judgement on the part of a candidate, one of whom cynically chose an ignorant nutjob as his running mate presumably as a winning strategy, not considering the welfare of his country in that decision. And a statement that in fact we are able to make a choice above all based on what is best for all of us. And that we are finally looking to future instead of the past. Oh, yeah - and I forgot -- Obama is black, too. It is not insignificant that our first black president is also half white, and was raised by hardworking white people with high character and a strong moral conscience, and that his platform is one of Unity, as was MLK's. Who would have thought THAT combination of elements would buy the winning lottery ticket? That's sort of how I feel about it. It is entirely possible that the Republican Party and politics as usual could has become history. So … there are many historic aspects to this victory.

Anyway…yes, we did it. We got it right this time. Now we must make all America proud that we did, and make the world respect us and not hate us. And dig ourselves out this big Dubya hole.

broad minded said...

AMEN.

Anonymous said...

Congrats to all Libs. I do reserve the right to rant as Broad has done at a later time, and also to say I told you so when even Libs start to say what the hell as the ultra far left policies come. Do not worry, us conservatives
love our country to, and as we did after Carter, we will once again clean up the mess after this feel good moment passes and the reality of what is going on sets in.

broad minded said...

anon, ha ha. excuse me while i pick myself up from the floor laughing . . .

yeah you guys cleaned up REAL good after carter when President Celluloid came on the scene. Please. I may have still been hugging my cabbage patch doll and shying over julian lennon back in the reagan daze, but even i knew that alex p. keaton was delusional in his love of the gipper.