...and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.
These really do say it all.
Wow. Unbelieveable feelings of relief. After eight looooonnnnggg years, I finally have hope again for my country. In the last weeks before the election, I have been mostly silent, holding my breath and waiting to see if the signs of light at the end of the tunnel were real.
When I think about the possible implications, I am just dumbfounded. The real chance that the wars will end. The real chance that the assault on the environment will end. The real chance that we will regain the respect and admiration of the world. The real chance that our economy can be repaired.
America began as, and will always remain, a fluid and dynamic grand experiment. We are learning, as a country, across generations, how to become better as human beings. It is hard to defy all that evolutionary programming which makes us fear and distrust anyone different from ourselves, but we are slowly moving in a positive direction. Sometimes we take steps back, but they are always followed by a greater number of steps forward. Barack Obama represents the hope that we all hold - for our nation and for our world - the world our children will inherit.
Full text of his acceptance speech here. Yes We Can.
Having said that, as I sit here floating in the post-victory happy place where I've been since last night, I feel obligated to link to a few words from John Scalzi offering a little reality check on things. We're not talking the second coming of Jesus here, folks. This is a man, preparing to run a country in the midst of not one but several epic crises, a man who must govern the Entire United States of America, red states included. He will be forced to concede some things. He will fail at some things.
Nevertheless, I'm going to enjoy this. I want to savor the feeling of an historic moment. It's the same feeling I had in college when I watched the Berlin Wall come down. Hope, simple and pure. We may just be alright.
Yes we can.
Ron Howard in a funny and surreally (yes I just made that word up) nostalgic call to action in this year's presidential election:
America, we cannot turn back. Not with so much work to be done. Not with so many children to educate, and so many veterans to care for. Not with an economy to fix and cities to rebuild and farms to save. Not with so many families to protect and so many lives to mend. America, we cannot turn back. We cannot walk alone. At this moment, in this election, we must pledge once more to march into the future. Let us keep that promise -- that American promise -- and in the words of Scripture hold firmly, without wavering, to the hope that we confess.
Crossposted at The Wild, Wild Left
An old friend recently asked me about where I stand in my support of Obama. Up until now I've been outspoken and very vocally supportive of his campaign, based on the fact that A) He seemed unafraid to support progressive issues and B) He seemed the right man, at the right time, to bring our country together. I have to admit, though, that I've been less vocal lately (read silent). Today I redesigned my blog, and after some thought, I left off the little "Support Obama" graphics I've been sporting for a few months now.
I'm just baffled, frankly. I don't understand who these Democratic candidates are listening to. I understand about the need to reach out to the center, and even to the right, in an effort to portray oneself as understanding of their needs. A President of the United States should be willing, insistent, in fact, on listening to the wishes of every citizen. However, for some unknown, unfathomable reason, Democratic candidates lately have felt it their duty to pander instead of listen, to court instead of consider - a tactic that is not only dangerous, it's misguided, and possibly deadly.
So listen up, candidates and earstwhile advisory staff: You can't have it both ways. You can't stand in front of thousands upon thousands of frustrated, hopeful progressives and shout that YOU are the one who will change things, YOU are their one great hope for turning back the tide of the loss of women's rights, the unconscionable intermingling of church and state, and the loss of basic constitutional freedoms while simultaneously voting and speaking in terms which directly refute your supposed ideals.
While he campaigned among and for Democrats only Obama seemed like just what this party needed - a candidate not afraid to stand up against the Evangelical Right that has held American politics hostage for years. And then, magically, once the cards shifted and he found himself the nominee, he started backtracking, shifting, and yes, pandering.
Think the FISA vote.
Think women's reproductive rights.
Think withdrawing from Iraq.
Think faith based initiatives.
It's more than just wrong. It's politically stupid. By trying to play it both ways, Obama is going to lose his core voting block. You can't convince the Republicans that you are one of them. They won't buy it. And your base, your best shot at winning this election, will feel like you've betrayed them and stay home in November. You'll lose to a candidate who is riding the coattails of a President with a 27% approval rating.
Yes, I'm still voting for Obama. In a choice between ANYONE and McCain, I'll still vote for the other guy. However, I don't want to drag my feet to the polls in November. I don't want to go through the motions of choosing the lesser of two evils. I want a candidate I can believe in, a candidate who really can offer me HOPE that we aren't failing as a democracy. So, if you don't mind, will the real Barack Obama please stand up?
