Filed under: Election 2008
History was made tonight, and I relished my part in it – however small. Hearing President-Elect Obama (MAN, that felt good to write!!!) speak was incredibly uplifting and inspirational. He made me want to truly reach out to the 42 million (and counting) morons who bought into the enormous, steamy, reeking pile of b.s. that McCain was selling (and who couldn’t be bothered to seek out the truth.) But I digress…
What a joyous, historic moment it was. A moment such as I’ve never before seen in my 46+ years on the planet. How proud I was for my part in getting my 76 year old father-in-law out to vote – for the first time in his life. How thrilled I was for my nephew, voting in his first presidential election since coming of age. To think that one day he will be able to look back on this and say to his grandchildren, “I remember when Barack Obama was elected. He was the first president I ever voted for.”
He surely doesn’t realize it, but I know how lucky he is to have been able to vote for someone he truly believed in. Having voted (more times than I care to remember) for the lesser of two evils… voting just to keep someone OUT of office, I’m so very happy that his first experience with the electoral process was one that will inspire rather than disillusion him. I’ve voted (even campaigned) before for candidates I believed in, but not one of them had a prayer of winning. And my belief in and support for John Anderson, Jesse Jackson and Jerry Brown paled in comparison to my belief in Barack Obama.
Like many, I first became aware of Barack Obama when he addressed the Democratic National Convention in 2004. I was spellbound by his speech, overwhelmed by his authenticity. Though I was not yet 6 when Bobby Kennedy was assassinated, I have nevertheless been a big fan my whole life. I have read much about him and have often wondered how different our country might be today if he had lived. In Barack Obama, I see a new Bobby Kennedy. I see a new FDR. I see a new Bill Clinton (but just the good parts – the parts where we once again have a leader whose IQ exceeds that of a chimpanzee – but without the distraction of all that extramarital hanky-panky.) Hopeful? You don’t know the half of it.
Now for the hard part- waiting until January 20th, 2009. Couldn’t we just assemble an angry mob with torches and pitchforks and run George W. Bush out of town on a rail? Tomorrow?
My hope, as high as it may currently be soaring, is tempered with reservation. As previously mentioned, over 42 million people (and counting) voted for a man who ran a treacherous, deceitful, underhanded, repugnant campaign. A man who deliberately instilled in his supporters a hatred toward their new president. So, while I’d like to believe that we’ve turned a page, and that the Obama presidency is the start of a new chapter in American politics, the sad truth is, the Republicans will be back. They’ll return in 4 years with another repugnant campaign.
Already they are talking about Sarah Palin in 2012. I hope that comes to pass. If the GOP hasn’t yet learned its lesson about pandering to the wingnuts on the far right, let’s tech them once and for all in 2012.
That said, wouldn’t it be nice if the ugly, hate-filled politics of 2008 were behind us, once and for all? Wouldn’t it be great if we never again had to worry about electing someone with an I.Q. roughly equivalent to his shoe size? Wouldn’t it be wonderful if racism, religious persecution and the undue influence of lobbyists and special interests were ousted by an active, vigilant, informed electorate?
Well, I guess I can dare to dream…
