The past 8 years have been dark ones for me. I don’t think I realized how adjusted I had become to living in a fog of fear and despair about the political climate of our country until last night when every network & paper had called it for Obama and I couldn’t believe it because I was waiting for someone to say “Oops. We made a mistake. It’s actually McCain by 2 electoral votes.”
It took McCain’s concession speech for me to accept that it was happening. It was real. We did it.
And the crowds at McCain’s rally and Obama’s hometown said it all about how this race was fought and run. McCain’s mention of President-Elect Barack Obama was met with boos, people shouting “Nobama” and the like. Obama’s mention of his opponent was met with applause. McCain divided and failed. Obama united and triumphed. I think that gives me more hope than anything else.
Our new president’s acceptance speech was spectacular. It was humble, funny, intelligent and honest. (And there will be a new puppy in the White House!) Someone said that his speech would tell us how he would lead. Why suddenly this speech after all of the others he’s given I am not sure but if this speech is to be the standard then we are in for a hard, challenging, lofty and wonderful four years. We will have a president that uses words for meaning, impact and power. We will have a president who loves his family and uses that love to guide him through his life. We will have a president that believes in us more than we believe in ourselves.
I am proud this morning. Proud that we have our first black president. Proud that we had the kind of voter turn-out we should have for every election. Proud that people feel hopeful about what we can do in this country and in this world.
The panes of bullet-proof glass that flanked our new president last night and the passing of Proposition 8 in California show us how far we have to go in this country and I don’t think Barack would have it any other way. Because it is those obstacles that inspire us to stay involved and strive for something better.
This is the giant leap forward to something better.
2 comments:
Excellent!! I am proud to be your dadgo!
I said this about Hillary’s speech suspending her campaign, and I’ll say it again about McCain’s speech last night – if he had spoken during the campaign like he did last night, the outcome might have been different. What is it about these candidates that their essential personalities disappear and only re-appear in defeat? I think one of the things that made people get comfortable with Obama is that his tone and timbre, demeanor and message remained constant.
I gathered with some friends to watch the returns, cheer, cry, have some champaign and watch the speeches (little Sarah shed a tear. Boo hoo.) Then I came home and could not turn off the TV until after I watched Elizabeth Dole give a pissy farewell speech and Kay Hagan, who beat her, give a victory speech that had some ungracious parts, so there’s still lots to do re bi-partisanship.
It is just so amazing and so wonderful that it was decisive.
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