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Tuesday, November 04, 2008
A Message For America
At this moment, I'm reminded of a line that's stuck with me from Kurt Vonnegut's TIMEQUAKE:
“You were sick, but now you're well again, and there's work to do.”
And what’s with the third string talking heads being such wet blankets this a.m.? Lots or hand-wringing and lamenting over "the tough road ahead." Yeah. Gee, when you finally have to publicly acknowledge the incompetent, drunken, two-ton elephant who’s been running amok for the last eight years…guess it’s kind of bitch, isn’t it? Mandate this, buddy.
I was going to sleep by 10:30. I stayed up late enough to listen to McCain's concession - which I thought was well done. If I lived in Chicago there would have been no way I'd have gone out to Grant Park to get back home at 3 AM.
I watched FOX News this morning to see if there would be any meltdowns but saw none.
The good thing (probably the single good thing) about George W. Bush’s 8 years in office was (and is) a complete repudiation of hard line conservatism. A new generation that is more educated and aware (and willing to participate) turned its collective back on what at times had been fever pitch fanaticism that ultimately proved unyielding and uncompromising incompetence. There is some solace in my last two really bad presidential votes. I ignored the social platform I remain at odds with (I am left of liberal on social issues) and sought a stronger American military/backbone to acts of terrorism home and abroad. What I got in return for my votes was no different from what we all got; in a word, screwed.
My bad. Hopefully, from poison comes a cure. Last night the same amount (if not more) of political capital George Bush had immediately after 9-11 was handed to Barrack Obama. I doubt anyone could misuse such capital the way Bush did and I’m sure President Obama will do just fine. Hopefully, he’ll do better than that. Only time will tell.
The left had been marginalized by conservative strategists who simply outmaneuvered Democrats in the last few elections (mostly through a call to Christian conservatives). The strategy worked getting Bush elected in 2004 (2000 remains an unsolved cold case). The left was pushed to the side in 2004. Last night it pushed back, but until a Presidential candidate can say without fear of losing votes he is pro gay marriage (for instance), I insist it (the left) remains marginalized. Yesterday, however, the country (thanks to George Bush), marginalized the extreme right … perhaps into oblivion.
Republicans do themselves no good in posturing Sarah Palin as the future of their party. As a dear friend (and constant football thorn in my side) put it, in eight years she’ll lose the only appeal she has (her looks). She was incompetent as a statesperson and completely out of touch with this new generation of Americans anxious to voice their opinions and vote their conscience. She had become a national joke through Saturday Night Live and she will remain one; a piss-poor choice of desperation by a campaign in dire straights. Palin may have excited the base, but that base is getting smaller and smaller … and the new generation of voting Americans doesn’t seem very interested in what they have to say (i.e., “How you gonna’ keep’em down on the farm…?”).
Of course, the irony of John McCain’s candidacy is that once again George Bush ruined it for him. The beauty in it was his (McCain’s) concession speech. He goes out retaining enough class to forgive him his attempts to gain the support of hard line conservatives in his party who just don’t get it; 2004 is history and won’t be back in our lifetime.
So, here’s to President Barrack Hussein Obama.
And here’s to America for turning more than one historical page.
This is going to sound a bit petty, but I don't care.
I hope John McCain felt just a bit sick when his call for unity was met with boos.
I hope he realized that he was part of the atmosphere that caused that. I hope he realized that, and it sickened him.
Because as petty as that hope is, it's also the only way to reverse course. Sometimes you have to be sick with yourself before you can say "that's not who I'm going to be".
He could become more valuable to his party by rejecting divisiveness than he could have been as a President who won based upon it.
7 comments:
Here, Here!
I'm trying to imagine what this means for my granddaughters and grandsons, trying to imagine how much their world will open up.
How many Americans will buy in and take a stake, now, who wouldn't risk the disappointment before? Our greatest wealth is in each other.
And what’s with the third string talking heads being such wet blankets this a.m.? Lots or hand-wringing and lamenting over "the tough road ahead." Yeah. Gee, when you finally have to publicly acknowledge the incompetent, drunken, two-ton elephant who’s been running amok for the last eight years…guess it’s kind of bitch, isn’t it? Mandate this, buddy.
When I saw Obama's speech last night, I couldn't help myself. That was, to use an overused word, history.
I booted up my phone and texted my brother, "America! Fuck yeah!"
For the first time in years, I meant it.
I was going to sleep by 10:30. I stayed up late enough to listen to McCain's concession - which I thought was well done. If I lived in Chicago there would have been no way I'd have gone out to Grant Park to get back home at 3 AM.
I watched FOX News this morning to see if there would be any meltdowns but saw none.
The good thing (probably the single good thing) about George W. Bush’s 8 years in office was (and is) a complete repudiation of hard line conservatism. A new generation that is more educated and aware (and willing to participate) turned its collective back on what at times had been fever pitch fanaticism that ultimately proved unyielding and uncompromising incompetence. There is some solace in my last two really bad presidential votes. I ignored the social platform I remain at odds with (I am left of liberal on social issues) and sought a stronger American military/backbone to acts of terrorism home and abroad. What I got in return for my votes was no different from what we all got; in a word, screwed.
My bad. Hopefully, from poison comes a cure. Last night the same amount (if not more) of political capital George Bush had immediately after 9-11 was handed to Barrack Obama. I doubt anyone could misuse such capital the way Bush did and I’m sure President Obama will do just fine. Hopefully, he’ll do better than that. Only time will tell.
The left had been marginalized by conservative strategists who simply outmaneuvered Democrats in the last few elections (mostly through a call to Christian conservatives). The strategy worked getting Bush elected in 2004 (2000 remains an unsolved cold case). The left was pushed to the side in 2004. Last night it pushed back, but until a Presidential candidate can say without fear of losing votes he is pro gay marriage (for instance), I insist it (the left) remains marginalized. Yesterday, however, the country (thanks to George Bush), marginalized the extreme right … perhaps into oblivion.
Republicans do themselves no good in posturing Sarah Palin as the future of their party. As a dear friend (and constant football thorn in my side) put it, in eight years she’ll lose the only appeal she has (her looks). She was incompetent as a statesperson and completely out of touch with this new generation of Americans anxious to voice their opinions and vote their conscience. She had become a national joke through Saturday Night Live and she will remain one; a piss-poor choice of desperation by a campaign in dire straights. Palin may have excited the base, but that base is getting smaller and smaller … and the new generation of voting Americans doesn’t seem very interested in what they have to say (i.e., “How you gonna’ keep’em down on the farm…?”).
Of course, the irony of John McCain’s candidacy is that once again George Bush ruined it for him. The beauty in it was his (McCain’s) concession speech. He goes out retaining enough class to forgive him his attempts to gain the support of hard line conservatives in his party who just don’t get it; 2004 is history and won’t be back in our lifetime.
So, here’s to President Barrack Hussein Obama.
And here’s to America for turning more than one historical page.
This is going to sound a bit petty, but I don't care.
I hope John McCain felt just a bit sick when his call for unity was met with boos.
I hope he realized that he was part of the atmosphere that caused that. I hope he realized that, and it sickened him.
Because as petty as that hope is, it's also the only way to reverse course. Sometimes you have to be sick with yourself before you can say "that's not who I'm going to be".
He could become more valuable to his party by rejecting divisiveness than he could have been as a President who won based upon it.
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