Blog Update!
For those of you not following me on Facebook, as of the Summer of 2019 I've moved to Central WA, to a tiny mountain town of less than 1,000 people.

I will be covering my exploits here in the Cascades, as I try to further reduce my impact on the environment. With the same attitude, just at a higher altitude!

Wednesday, November 5, 2008

A mandate

The results of this election have been so astounding on a number of different levels. Not only am I pleased with the results, but I am, frankly, proud of America.

I never thought that Americans would get over their prejudices to elect an African American into office, at least not in my lifetime. Of course, it was my hope that that would be the case, but I believe we've gotten to the point where we look beyond race and can actually focus on more concrete things that matter. This wasn't just an election for president, this was a turning of the tide for so many things for Americans and for the world.

Since we're all going to be reading about the election, I want to keep this brief. But, here's to four years of removing the damage that has occurred over the last eight. Here's to four years of repairing the standing that the United States has in the global eye and here's to four years of actually having an intellectual in the White House. Someone who actually understands and respects Constitutional law in the White House? Go figure.

What's your wish for the next four years?

47 comments:

Kelly said...

yes, the contrast between the incoming and outgoing is quite mindboggling! go figure. how'd that happen?

esther said...

Yoopee! he's too cute! well, besides that, I think he will refresh America and hope he will turn america green!

Anderson Family said...

It's not over yet. I still worry about assassination attemps. There's a long time until January 20th. I just pray that doesn't happen. Hopefully it won't happen, but we live in a crazy world. Could you imagine Joe Biden's speeches? He'd never stop talking.

Jena said...

I'm with alana. I'm thrilled that he won but now I'll forever worry about an assassination. It seems like that happens to some of the best ones.

Otherwise I am so excited to see what it is like to have a President worth respecting and caring about. I've not experienced that yet in my lifetime. Woohoo!!

Jen said...

Fiually! I've never known what it's like to really love our president and have hope for what he can do. I'm so excited!

Anonymous said...

As a Canadian, I can't be more excited for our neighbors...because believe it or not what happens down South does effect us up North too! As a long time married (15yrs) couple white/black my husband and I are thrilled. Obama transcends ALL races, as a mother of 3 boys, I see him as a public role model for young men everywhere. I realise that is a lot of weight for one man to carry, and I wish him all the best. My boys now have 2 very good role models, Obama and their father.

Jamie said...

here here!!

Michelle said...

I think I must be the only Republican here :>)

But, the race is over and it is time for ALL Americans to stand together and move forward. I do believe that he and many others are ready to work together to make great changes, and for that I am very, very excited!

And, I pray that we really can make some serious headway in changing how we use energy and where it comes from.

Anonymous said...

I think the election results are indeed a mandate. Especially when one considers the 6 million citizens whose names were illegally struck from the rolls by GOP shenanigans (http://www.gregpalast.com/index.php) precisely because they were profiled as likely Dem voters. Imagine if those people had been allowed to participate? And a mandate just the same. Let's hope things get better now.

Cave-Woman said...

There's an old Nina Simone song running through my head...."It's a new dawn, a new day, a new life....and I'm feelin' fine."

Yea! The next four years are going to be tough ones for our government. Bush left a BIG mess---and it will take all of us to clean it up. It's so nice that we finally have a competent person at the helm. Yea!

Alison Kerr said...

My wish is that we will make progress on big, important things - especially the environment - rather than being lost in a power battle. I hope for a new era of national and international co-operation lead by a new President and by America.

Green Bean said...

Hear, hear!!!

I am so happy and proud of this country. Are we finally growing up?

One of the things I love about Obama is his reminder that things will be tough and that some sacrifice will be needed. We can't have it all! And it is my hope that under his leadership, we become a country that recognizes that.

I hope to see a Green Economy rolled out in the first 100 days. One that takes a page from Green Collar Economy by Van Jones ("anything is possible") and removes govt subsidies for coal and oil. One that puts money into rebuilding our infrastructure green and provides jobs.

I have hope! And as to the assassination worries, I think we'll all have them but kudos to Obama for choosing a Vice President who could lead if required. Biden has a stellar environmental record.

Jen (emsun.org) said...

I'm so excited! :)

e4 said...

Four years? Here's to eight, I hope.

Gretchen said...

PREDJUDICES? Being proud of a man elected into office because his skin is black is TERRIBLE. Skin color should have nothing to do with why people would vote for him. You should be proud of the electoral choice because of his platform, his opinions, his moral compass. Being proud of his skin color in office is no better than voting against him because of his skin color. Voting for a man because he's black is no better than voting for Sarah Palin because she's a woman. VOTE FOR CANDIDATES, NOT THEIR SKIN COLOR OR GENDER, PEOPLE!!!!

Anonymous said...

I am cautiously excited. I hope we see a turn around of economic policy, particularly a more 'green' economy. I think this is the time to really let all our leaders know they should use this time to institute new and real change, not settle in to same old, same old.

Zabetha said...

And here's to healing the wounds of racism in America. I am moved by the reaction of black Americans to this momentous occasion, "Yes we can" has a very special meaning to them now.

Yes, we really should be colour-blind but the reality is we're not. As one African commentator I heard this morning said, he has raised the bar for all of us.

Obama has inspired millions of people of all ages and backgrounds to go the extra mile to make this a better world. I look forward to great things being done by the American people, not just the new American President-elect.

Anonymous said...

Last night I heard this...
Rosa Parks sat so that King could walk; King walked so that Obama could run; Obama ran so that we could fly.
Congratulations America. You should be proud.
Canada

Lily said...

Here's to wishing that Americans don't swallow everything a president says as gospel just because the word Freedom is involved. The Employee Freedom act is anything but....

Jim Smith II said...

I said on my own site that today is for savoring the moment. Tomorrow, the real work begins - A return to the Rule of Law and not the Rule of Fear. Fixing our economy and figuring out a way to save our planet. - But for today, just big smiles.

Great blog D - Pointshare forever ;-)

Kelsie said...

I voted for McCain, and I make no bones about that. I am, however, cautiously optimistic that the excitement and interest generated by this election will actually fire people up to TAKE CHARGE OF THEIR OWN FUTURES. If everyone goes back to waiting for the government to take care of them, then nothing is going to change. Period. Regardless of who is president. I hope the young people who were so enthused to be a part of this election continue to be a part of politics and the nation in general. If they look to Obama as their leader, and Obama continues encouraging them to make their own change, then more power to everyone (truly!). I hope Americans use their newfound enthusiasm at the local level to enact changes in their communities which, ultimately, will help change the face of the nation.

I hope for these things, but I'm also a cynic who can easily envision things, at least on a citizen's level, going back to the same, apathetic way they've always been.

Shandy said...

My wish for the next four years is that we don't forget that it took an active and committed populace finally standing up and saying, "We have had ENOUGH of this" to make this happen. My hope is that we, all of us, can finally be inspired to fix the problems that we have all had a hand in making, rise above the ugliness that has characterized the last eight years and, in doing so, raise up a troubled world along with us. My dream is that we remember, every day, that we are all part of "We the people" and that it's both a privilege and a responsibility.

You know, nothing much. :D

Anonymous said...

Texan Mama - Amen. If only we weren't allowed to see or hear the candidates not hear their political parties but had to actually research the issues. That would be a great day.

Another great day would be when we had something other than this two-party system.

Although I'm glad that Obama won over McCain, I certainly hope we can get past all the Obama worship and really start scrutinizing EVERY MOVE he makes, just as we should have done with Bush all along.

We need to stop blindly trusting, no matter how much we like them, and start holding them accountable.

Shandy said...

Oh, my other wish is that all those people who spent the last eight years declaring that the President of the United States "deserves our support" and anything less means that you're an unpatriotic almost-traitor actually meant that.

Of course, I know that they didn't, but you were asking for wishes!

Tara said...

Texan Momma:

We ARE proud of him because of his platform, his opinions and his moral compass. Everyone I know voted for him for those reasons and NOT because he's black. Favoring someone's qualifications and being proud of them for achieving a milestone need not be mutually exclusive. The simple fact is, racism still exists in this country, and it speaks volumes about us as a nation that we've moved so far away from it. That's the point here. Not "Hooray for Obama for being black".

We can't ignore our history. We have to acknowledge the fact that blacks in America (and women too) simply haven't always had all the opportunities that whites (and men) have enjoyed. That's a fact. If you really believe that we all voted for him because of his race, you have a profound misunderstanding of us. I, for one, voted for him (among many, many other reasons) because he had the courage to stand up before us and NOT promise to make us richer or safer or what have you, but tell us that we ALL need to get up and get busy, because we're ALL better than this. I'm thoroughly worn out on this "what's in it for me?" approach to politics, and am anxious for all of us to get back to the business of doing things that are good for each other instead of good for ourselves.

Anonymous said...

My daughter and I cried last night BECAUSE OF HIS MORAL COMPASS.

God bless America and Washington state!

Anonymous said...

you know, that is somewhat a fear of mine that now America will forget about the problems of racism that still permeate our system because we have voted for a Black president. I don't think that solves any of the problems of race. He was a great candidate, and many people voted for him because of that, not necessarily skin color. Thus, I think racism is still going to be a huge problem and even overlooked more so now.

Unknown said...

Texan Mama,

I find your rant disturbing mostly because you accuse people of voting for Obama because he is black, but say nothing to condemn the people that did NOT vote for him because he is black. I think we all understand where you are coming from.

Anonymous said...

I am just so happy, and so incredibly proud of our country. People have chosen CHANGE, and I believe if anyone can deliver it, Obama can. I'm tearing up again just writing this! But it pretty much has to be a group effort, especially if we want the change to last.

Maria Elena Rodriguez said...

More right for same-sex couples! And green up this sad country!

Grant said...

"Someone who actually understands and respects Constitutional law in the White House? Go figure."

You have got to be kidding me. Obama doesn't understand or respect the Constitution any more than Bush did. Obama supported immunity for telecoms who performed unauthorized and illegal wiretaps on citizens. Obama supports nationalized health care (paid for by unconstitutional unapportioned taxes on the people). Obama supports the income tax (again, an unapportioned and unconstitutional tax). Obama has voted for *every single one* of the anti-2nd Amendment bills that have passed before him. He voted for the USA PATRIOT Act and has made no effort to propose legislation restoring Habeus Corpus or releasing prisoners who are being held without trial in Gitmo.

I'll give credit where credit is due: Senator Obama can form a coherent sentence and realizes that the war in Iraq is a lost cause. On those two counts, he is superior to our current President. But to say that he understands or respects the Constitution is laughable.

Crunchy Chicken said...

Texan Mama - I'm talking about people who voted for Obama in spite of his skin color, not because of it.

I would no sooner vote for Obama because he's black than I would vote for Palin because she's a woman. I honestly don't know where you are getting that from my post.

I am proud of the "electoral choice because of his platform, his opinions, his moral compass" as well as being able to see past race to make the right choice.

Grant - for someone (Obama) who taught Constitutional Law during his 10 years of teaching part-time at the University of Chicago Law School, it certainly would be fair to say that he understands Constitutional Law considerably more than Bush does or ever will.

ann marie said...

Good post. I came here via another blog, I forget which one.
Texan mama, it is important to note that several of our founding father's owned slaves. There was a time when black people were considered 3/4's a person and until 1870 black people could not vote, so yes, it is historically significant that a black man won the election. To ignore that would be strange and sad and foolish. Saying all those things, stating those facts, does not mean that that is the reason people voted for him, only that it is historically important. I am sure mention will be made of it in history books.
Anyway, like I said, this was a good one.

Carol-Leah said...

So Obama is black. Why is he black? His mother is white. Why does that not qualify him to be white. On top of that, it was his white mother and white grandparents that raised him to be the man he is now not his black father that abandoned the family. If you listened to the rhetoric you know that mostly he was voted for because he was 'black' and it would be a wonderful thing for the black people in America. It is a wonderful thing for the people in America but I am not impressed by the reverse discrimination. If you replaced the word 'white' for 'black' in most talk I heard on TV there would be an outcry about prejudice in this country.

Anonymous said...

I'm just disappointed we're still stuck in a two party system. I hope in the next four years third parties make gains in membership and get more time in the public eye. I also hope we don't see reductions in our freedoms.

I don't agree with voting for or against anyone based on race. You should research the candidates and make a decision based on how well you agree with decisions they have made in their career.

Stacey said...

I was begining to think I was the only one who voted for McCain, but I see thats not true, I agree with what Michelle said, all though I have to add, did America not elect Bush? We want to blame him, but obviousley, he didn't do it alone. as for myself this was my first election in which I voted.

Mike said...

I don't know how I would react if John McCain had won and a republican was reaching out to me. I might stab his/her hand. But I want to talk to republicans and find out how they would feel their lives are improving as well under Obama, how I can help that happen.

Here's what I want from the next 4 years:

Investment in renewable energy infrastructure. Period. That's it. Imagine driving your car as much as you want and not feeling guilty. Or heating your house as warm as you'd like and knowing the resources would be replenished tomorrow. We would be able to improve the comfort of our lives without sacrificing the planet. Amazing.

Mariano Rentería said...

As mexican, I hope that US threat better the inmigrants and recognize they are an important part of their economy

TheNormalMiddle said...

There are one or two of us "green" republicans who don't engage in Obama worship, you know.

:)

I support Texan Mama.

I think Obama will be a decent president, but I also think he won based on his skin color more than anything else. Furthermore, will agree that Bush is a horrible president and I hate I voted for him twice. But he isn't as stupid as everyone paints him to be.

We've got YEARS worth of mess that we're dealing with right now. Every wrong thing in America hasn't been instigated this past 8 years. As the song goes, "we didn't start the fire."

A truly educated person, democrat or republican can see that our economic and social woes, as well as our environmental ills have been brewing for many, many years, through republicans and democrats.

I sure do hope Obama fixes things, and even though I didn't vote for him, I will support him. I do applaud his efforts to make us more "purple" states.

Methinks in 4-8 years we'll see another swing. A group gets control, screws things up further, and then they're ousted. Cycle repeats, ad nauseum.

Sadraki said...

I second Maria. More rights for couples and individuals who are GBLT. The bans on marriage, and adopting kids that passed really sadden me. These are issues that unfortunately Obama isn't strong on. Though he is on so many others and I hope to see a new respect for civil liberties and a beginning to halting our rampant consumerism and a more green economy.

Anonymous said...

What I totally love, and what I HOPE (since Crunchy asked) we can do over the next four or eight years, is this kind of dialogue!

We have people who think differently, who have some different values but who want basically the same things while having some disagreements about how to get there, who are engaging in CIVIL and PRODUCTIVE discourse!

May there be more and more places like this blog, created with love and commitment, where this can happen! Where honest questions can be raised and answered with courage!

Crunchy: Thank you. You have brought us together. It's people like *you* and the others who take you up on your challenges who will make Obama's dreams *real*.

Yes. WE. Can. WE. Must!

And -- God bless America. Every single corner of it. Along with every single other corner of the earth. No exceptions.

TDP said...

What I would like to happen in the next four years is for all Americans to grow beyond their fears and anger towards others of different ideologies. For everyone to look at the dead serious problems we have and know that the surest way to solve those problems is to first change and grow within ourselves. Extend an olive branch when you previously would not. Listen more and talk less. Respect others and let go of trying to assign motive to their actions. No one can know another's motives for what they do. A good percentage of human beings are clueless about what motivates themselves to do what they do. My wish is that as a people and a nation that we stop blaming, stop bickering and just finally grow up. Our country is in trouble, and we've all contributed to the mess it is in. Now its time we all clean it up and keep it cleaned up!

Anonymous said...

I just hope Obama can bring about what he talked of during his run for president..change. I certianly don't care if he is bi-racial or what. When I looked at both canidates I wasn't looking at skin color but their platforms.

It took awhile for our country to get into the mess wwe are and it is going to take awhile to get out of it. I just hope both parties can work together to get our contry on track.

Oldnovice said...

I'm from Texas, too, and am looking forward to what next I can do for my country after voting for Barack.

I figure he's gonna use his massive database to get us all involved in whatever it is that'll float our boats best, and that doesn't hurt my feelings at all. We've got quite the mess to clean up (as a country). While the environment is way, way up there on my list of important stuff, I could see myself volunteering to help in a number of things that I might deem a little bit more urgent.

I lived through the deaths of Jack, Bobby, Martin, and am not worried at all about Barack. I don't think we need to worry about that anymore; he's being protected by the best protection service in the world; his chances of being killed are lower than those of any other black man in the US.

Going Crunchy said...

Oh YEAH. I'm with you in so many respects. I was truly proud of my country and I haven't felt that in several years.

Yes, I worry about assination too. I feel like we would have a great chance of civil war if not mass unrest.

Sigh. I've kinda blogged about it 'till I'm blue in the face. I'm just crossing my fingers that freedom will ring.

Going Crunchy said...

Oh sorry, I just read some of the other comments and had to reply again.

I voted for Obama because of the content of his character, and not because of the color of his skin.

I couldn't even begin to consider voting for Sarah Palin because of my womanhood. She stands for most everything I abhor in violence, agression, limited political view, arms and more.

I cheer for America because we saw the message, not the race.

And I'm totally for revising our current political and media process. We should see the message, views and voting record on an equal basis.

But hey, I also totally voted for the Green party in everything else that I could. I'd rather us all be voting for the color GREEN.

Mike said...

I can promise you cynics that I (an angry white male) voted for Obama based on the content of his character. In fact, he's the first candidate I've been excited to vote FOR.

Notice how little talk there was in this election of the "lesser of two evils."