A rush of relief swept over me last night around the time Ohio was given to Obama. It was then I suddenly felt I didn't need to worry as much about, well, everything, as I have been. I'm sure I'm not the only one who has had this feeling, though it is silly upon examination. There are still things to worry about, big things. But, for a day or two, it's nice to know that there may be light at the end of this very long tunnel that has been the Republican rule.
Shit, Obama's like Superman right now. And, there's no Kryptonite to be found anywhere. Could it be that an honest man has been found in the US Senate? Sounds too much to wish for, I know, but still.....
Am I wrong for being just plain giddy? (I just realized that if you re-arrange the letters "plain" becomes "Palin". Hmm...) Am I wrong because I think it's about time that America pulled it's ginormous white head out of it's ass and did the right thing?
Unfortunately, I think we got lucky. America's just as much of a beer-swilling, nigger-hatin', oil lovin', burger-gobblin' place as it's always been, we just managed to get the vote out. I mean, if you didn't vote in this election, you are a fucking moron. AND, even though the numbers of voters were higher than ever, the percentage of REGISTERED voters who actually dragged their ass down to the polls was dismal. (I heard something like only 21% of registered voters in my state actually voted, and that was high!) If 80% of the registered voters STILL didn't vote, what the hell does that mean???
I gotta say, though I am wanting to be lulled to sleep by Obama reading the phonebook right now, I am still frustrated with this country. The sour grapes coming from the right have been just ugly. While McCain was giving his "sorry I lost it for you, it's all my fault" sad-grandpa speech last night, when he mentioned Obama, people started booing! I couldn't believe it. Hell, if McCain had won, I would have left the country, but I'm not sure if I would have stood around at a speech and booed the poor guy. I mean, he lost for God's sake!
Have you ever heard of the "Santa Claus Strategy"? Well, it goes like this: when the country has been completely screwed up by a Republican, they put up a patsy in the election (McCain) who will almost certainly lose by a slim margin. Then, when the Democrats take the crumbling country and work their asses off on fixing it for four years (Carter), the Republicans enter the next election by saying "Are you better off now than you were four years ago?" (Regan). Then folks say, "Well, I'm not better off now than I was, I guess I should vote for them there other guys this time". And, then the newly (mostly) fixed government gets handed off to a new, stronger Republican who enjoys the prosperity provided for him during the previous four years while handing out LOADS of money to his buddies and business friends (Santa) until everything goes to hell eight years later (BUSH2) and then becomes a "lame duck" (Bush1 and Bush2). So, let's hope Obama gets it right FAST, otherwise, he won't be around after the next election, and we will be looking at a "President Palin".
You betcha!
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I left this commentary about Obama on Murph's blog. But I really should have made it a post of its own. So I shall repeat it here, because it may help you keep that "giddy" feeling:
I felt proud showing Melody photos of last night's events. We explained why Jesse Jackson was crying, in the way a parent must to a four year old.
She gaped with wonder when we told her that people with darker colored skin used to not be able to [Long List] back in the long ago times.
We tried to explain what a president is. Since she doesn't much care for her teacher or principal, we were left with “Leader of America”. She liked that.
At one point, she asked if Obama was a superhero. I can't remember how we answered, because she thinks her uncle Eric is a superhero. I think we told him we were hoping he was a superhero, because he had so much work to do.
Before she left for school, we made sure she knew the name of new president of the United States of America.
(I know, "President Elect," but that's just too hard to explain to a four year old.)
We never told her before. I think because we never wanted to hear the words "President George Bush" coming out of her innocent mouth. It was like asking her to say something dirty.
We never told her much about the presidential election, because we didn’t think she would understand. Perhaps we were afraid McCain would win, and we didn’t want to explain to her why Obama didn’t.
(At Halloween, after speaking to a young couple in the neighborhood who had made their own Obama yard sign, I did tell her that Republicans were the scariest monsters of all. The couple had told us how their next-door neighbor kept defacing their sign. At one point, the witch had pasted “For Sale by Owner” atop their sign! But Melody just couldn’t say the word Republican, it was too hard of a word to learn at age four on Halloween.)
It was a good thing to hear Melody pronounce Obama's name. She said “Barack Obama” over and over, the angular first name contrasting against the round tones of his last. She said it as if tasting the syllables in her mouth. It reminded me of the way she looked when I gave her a slice of apple and some cheese, apprehensive at first, but with wonder when she tasted the combination.
I cried.
Melody was born in January of 2004, and I had despaired over how we would be living under Bush's rule until she was almost ready for kindergarten. Holding a newborn can make those years seem like eternity. I nearly killed myself, but it was the post-partum depression that would have been blamed. Although a large part of my despair was because I had lost faith in my country. I had so little faith left.
So, to hear Melody say the name of our newly chosen leader, one with such power to inspire people to work towards rebuilding all that Bush has destroyed...
I can’t describe the emotion. Part of it is joy. Part of it is pride. Part of it is relief, a renewal in my faith in the decency of Americans. But sadness lies there too. We had to see the dark to see the dawn. I am a firm believer that a utopia is worthless. Without sorrow, no one can truly appreciate joy.
Had Kerry won in 2004, Obama would not have had the opportunity to run this year. Does that mean that all the suffering inflicted around the world by the Bush regime is worth electing a good man for President? No one can answer, because no one can know.
All we can do is hope. Obama seems to have taken ownership of that simple word.
(When Melody hears it, she says, “That was what’s left in Pandora’s Box!” )
Let us hope then. Let us hope and take responsibility to ensure our hopes are met. That means work and sacrifice, something Obama made clear was the foundation of his ideals.
Hope without work is nothing but wishing.
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