Election Night 2008 – A Time Capsule
I’ve been listening to the radio a lot today. Work kept me away from blogging, but I got to spend some time listening to progressive talk radio, and the theme of the day seemed to revolve around the one year anniversary of the election. What has President Obama done? What has he not done? What should he do? What about Rahm Emmanuel? Some progressives are mad, others are mad at those who are mad. But I didn’t hear much reminiscing about that amazing election night whose anniversary we are celebrating today.
And no matter what anyone said about President Obama, and no matter how frustrated I feel at times, I think about the alternative. I think about President McCain and Vice President Palin. And I feel very grateful.
It’s hard to believe that it’s been a year already. I went back to the archives at the old blog site and it was pretty amazing to read some of your comments from last November 4. There were thousands of comments that evening, but here are just a few.
BIG SLICK – WOOOOOOOOHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
FROM ENGLAND - Fox just pronounced Obama president elect. Oh my God! Tears just streaming down my face. unbelievable. They’re saying that it’s “incomprehensible”, who would have thought this time last year that an African American would be president.
KEENOBSERVER2 - MSNBC just called it!!! HE WON!!!! Obama is President!!! If only my parents were alive to see this!!
FORTY WATT HUSSEIN - I haven’t posted so much because I’ve been nearly catatonic with fear. Now, I can’t really see for crying, but as well as I can I want to tell you all how much you mean to me. I couldn’t have got through this without AKM and the miraculous mudpuppies. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. Dear Obama–this is the best moment of my life.
COPYBOOK REALIST – All of the news people are crying… This is beautiful!
WISCONSIN SHOP GIRL - Crying. Joy. Proud. My phone is ringing off the hook. Dancing……..Oh, my God, they just showed people jumping for joy in Kenya!!!! More tears. Is this really happening?????
HARLEY – This is a campaign that took literally millions of Americans working together to make this happen. Obama is a great leader, but it takes followers to make a leader, and millions followed. I can imagine how you feel, I’ve been lucky enough to have a few winners, but my feelings are really different than normal. Yes, it great to have won the election, but it is more than an election. It’s the culmination of a lifetime of working on progressive issues. From the days of strikes, demonstrations, and racial oppression to a day when we elect an African-American President. All I can do is sit here in disbelief with tears running down my face, and remember when we used to rally and sing “We shall overcome”. I’m glad to see this the dream is still alive and there is an army of millions to carry on and a great leader to lead them.
GLENN2008 - Have you realized what positive impact the internet played in this? It connected us all. It democratized news and made it possible for all of you to voice your opinion and have impact. Never again can opinions be controlled as before! Most importantly, the internet enabled a candidate to reach out to grassroots instead of being obliged to serve the interests of the powerful few!
DIANNA – Oh, I am crying now, for sure.
I am sitting thinking of all the people who worked for generations to be heard. To be respected.
I am thinking of the elders that thought this day would never come. And the ones who did not live to see it happen.
I am thinking of my children and how much better it will be for all the children.
The magnitude of what has just occurred is hard to fully absorb.
TERRY IN MARYLAND - President Obama. I love the sound of that. A new start. We have a huge hole out of which to climb, but we stopped digging and started that climb today.
BOBG – McCain crowd is still spewing hate toward all others. OMG I am so ashamed to be a Republican. I will rectify that mistake next week.
SARAH “HONEY BUCKET” HUSSEIN - I feel like we’ve turned the light back on after 8 years of darkness. I hope it shines brighter and brighter. And thank you to everyone around the world who has kept that light shining all these years. We couldn’t have done this without you. Yes We Can. World, we can. We can help each other, support each other and learn once again to live for others, for a higher purpose, and make this world a better place for all of us.
It’s time for us to reach out across the divide and include everyone, or at least keep making the effort. It’s time we were one country again and time to begin seeing ourselves as one world.
Yes we can–reach out to McCain and Palin
Yes we can–begin including the disenfranchised
Yes we can–secure our borders without hurting our neighbors
Yes we can–make our schools better
Yes we can–give everyone hope
I’ve rolled up my sleeves. Let’s get started.
JIM AKA PITBULL HOCKEY PUCK - Couldn’t believe the stunned silence at our local Democrat’s election party when NBC called it for Obama–it lasted for maybe 5 seconds, then the house just exploded with cheers and applause. I am proud to have helped turn Nevada blue…
CALIFPAT - I agree with our new President. We could not have made this happen without the hard work of all of us. I have been a lurker and finally a poster for a while. I have been on the abc.com, cnn.com, ktla.com, washingtonpost.com, latimes.com and I have never come across people who were more passionate, more dedicated, more intelligent, more comedic and more serious about anything until I stumbled upon this blog. You have helped me save money that I would probably have been givng to a psychologist if I did not have you guys to help me keep my sanity during this emotional and most important election. You puppies have made me more politically aware and yes, a little bit smarter. You have given me links that have made me cry and have made laugh right out loud. You have enlightened me and to let me know that people are basically good and want to do what is right. I appreciate this and do not take it lightly. With that said Puppies, Thanks and let’s continue communicating. You have awaken an awareness in me where I will forever be more aware of the political world around me and will definitely be a participant. Thanks again.
PROUD COMMUNITY ORGANIZER WA - I am home and really I think I feel like we are the nation of the Little Engine that Could this evening! So much joy in my heart and I feel so much awe at this historical election!
DISGUSTEDFEMALE - I too cannot stop the flow of my tears…tears of JOY…tears of pride in my country…how very far we have come…and how far we still have to go…but at least with a man of high character, of hope, of unity..at the leadership. Yes we Can….Yes we DID
WIRED DIFFERENTLY - I can’t believe how this feels. I had no idea the shift would be so immediate and so profound. I didn’t know I’d been waiting my whole life for this. Let’s get to work.
EPIC - Welcome back America. The Light In The West. We’ve missed you.
DEBBIE AKA COMMANDO COALFIRE – It will take actions, when our country does not suddenly become muslim, overtaxed, and totally destroyed the wind will be out of their sails. Given time and if we all work hard at making this a better place to live, if wages inprove, our country comes together most of them will come around. The weight of the world is now on Barrack Obamas shoulders but I really think he can handle it.
CATHIE IN NY - I have lurked here for two months, morning, noon and night. Thankyou for holding my hand throughout this historic time, for helping me see that it would be ok, and AKmuckraker, to you for your wonderful, witty and incisive insight I would have been hard pressed to get here sane tonight without you. Thankyou. Thank you – I look forward to following the demise of Sarah Palin as she returns to face her constituents who now know so much more about her.
HAMLETS MILL – It’s over. I’m exhausted. Two months of sheer hell. I thank every Muddie for holding our lines together! We bent at times in being overwhelmed as it all unfolded. But we did NOT break!
MARTHA UNALASKA YARDSIGN - My sister just had the best idea. Maybe we can put our governor on eBay!
CAMIE - Today is a day I will never forget. I keep a sign posted on one of the doors to my home that says Colored Entrance Only to remind me that no matter how far I have come, never to forget where I came from and the struggles that my ancestors have gone through. Never did I think I would ever see this day and as I sit here with tears streaming down my face, overcome with emotion that I have lived to see Barack Obama become POTUS. I am just speechless. Thank you all for being such awesome company these past couple of months and for helping to make this day possible!!!!
ENNEALOGIC - My faith is restored, and my hope is rewarded. This is a very good day.
JOAN AKA TIMBER CHALLENGER PALIN – Tomorrow is the first day of the rest of all our lives – let’s take a deep breath, straigthen our shoulders, and get ready!YES WE CAN!!!
OHO - Goodnite everyone. What a wonderful day. Peace to all.
There are several open threads from that day, but if you want to read more, you can start HERE and HERE.
Thanks for the reminder. Good to see some of the names and makes me wonder where are they now.
AKM, thanks for keeping us sane.
I just watched “We the People” on HBO on dvr. It really took me back to a year ago. Sadly, that electricity and momentum does not exist right now. I’m hoping it will catch fire in 2010 and 2012.
Whatever anyone thinks about Obama…think about the alternative. Can you imagine McCain in charge now? I shudder.
Yes, the fire has reduced to a simmer. But it’s up to us to feed the fire.
We were lucky to attend a seminar/rally the day before the inauguration. Long time activists such as Eli Paliser (MoveOn.org) and Van Jones reminded us of how much work remained to be done and how difficult the struggle would continue to be. We were told that we had not reached the finish line. We still would have to carry Pres. Obama through his administration in order for him (and us) to reach the goals he (and we) supported during the campaign.
I am very pleased that he has been able to accomplish anything so far, given the hateful rhetoric of the opposition, the fearmongering, and the obstruction. Let’s keep our eyes on the prize and keep on working for a better society.
We just elected the first Democrat since the Civil War to represent us in NY23, despite the twitter Queens’s interference and all the other outsiders telling us we NEEDED a RWConservative.
Ya know, because we were to dumb to figure out what we needed or even wanted.
palin and all those others who put their 2 cents in better realize that not everybody, actually most people do not like being told they do NOT KNOW how to pick the people that they want to represent them.
I just see it as bullying, as bad as the playground bully, who decides the status quo.
Sarah Palin has NO MORAL ground to support anyone. She quit and deserted her “people” to make money. How’s that for a “concerned politician”?
Stacks and stacks of cards to learn about our country? Do ya think she’s been increasing her knowledge or her wallet since then?
What are Sara’s principles exactly? Quit your elected position, make more money and pretend to know politics? Good Lord, she never even visited our area to listen to the people!
Oh well, if nothing else, it made me realize that from now on, it is not good enough to just vote. You need to support the candidate and the party to get things done. VOLUNTEER~~~~~
Part of the problem is people invested so much in Obama – their hopes and dreams – and the belief that he could embody those. As it turns out he isn’t quite as great as we wanted him to be. I have been extremely angry about the health care issue.
He also isn’t as bad as we may think if disappointed. He is a man in a country with horrific problems and no loyal opposition. It is a country with overwhelming corruption in the political class. It is a country with several decades of “give me mine, screw you” mentality. The level of political and historical stupidity is often overwhelming (and that’s the political class, never mind the populace). Getting from here to there is going to take some time.
The path to elective victory was easy compared to the rest. He has got to work a bit more on presenting agenda that can be understand and followed. All I see is a lame political apparatus trying to raise money all the time. That “ain’t it babe!” It turns people off and they turn away.
I always wonder what the new president learns once they’re in there. They may think they have an idea of how it works, but I get the feeling there’s a lot they didn’t realize and didn’t bargain for. The Republicans obviously don’t want to, and will not play ball. They don’t give a rat’s a$$ about bipartisanship. I wish Obama would start cracking some heads together. But it’s hard to say what the winning strategy will be in the long run. He ignored a lot of advice during the campaign and ended up in the White House.
Don’t know if you’ve already seen this, but maybe this is a good time for everyone to listen and and watch this song. I think it is absolutely priceless.
http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=2539741
I was the Sarah Honey Bucket Hussein in the above comments. I loved the win, was energized, ready to support Obama in his presidency. Then, I was Palinized by a closet wingnut boss who became worried about losing his job due to the economy and his wretched performance, did the “Swift Boat to Lies” trick and suddenly I found myself on the outside looking in. By inauguration day, I was packing to move–I couldn’t afford to stay in the city I loved. My husband (who also lost his job thanks to W’s policies) moved into our new place Feb. 1. We’ve worked part time since and collected unemployment and are looking for better jobs.
Don’t get me wrong. We have plenty to be grateful for. Through a friend we’ve had an apartment far below market rate, since we can’t sell our house in this market. This has been a wonderful blessing. We’ve had enough to pay our bills and live on. We have family close by, live in a beautiful place that has lots of free/cheap activities, a wonderful land lord that keeps the place pristine, and I could go on and on. It’s just not what I envisioned on election day, and the changes have drained my enthusiasm, though I, too, am grateful for what we didn’t elect! I have a feeling there’s a lot out there like me that kind of got beaten down and distracted by stuff in their own lives. Now that I’ve reread that post, I’m feeling more inspired. Thanks for reprinting it, AKM. I needed to hear my own message again!
Bakers Dozen, are you back down here?
WOOOOOOOOOOHOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!
WOOOOOOOOOOOHOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!
I for one am very pleased with our President Obama!
Compared to the both the previous Administration and the alternative of McFalin – he’s doing GREAT!
Maybe I am being naive, but I do not think so. I am still optimistic toward our President. He is working hard to fix multiple problems that have been eight years in the making. He has taken steps that have eased our economy a wee bit. It will take a longer time for him to work it all out so that we constituents feel it in our own backyards. At the samre time, he is working to pass Universal Health Care for us all and still has to deal with Afghanistan and Iraq! Not to mention, Republicans, Conservatives, Democratic(Bluedogs), Leiberman(sp) Bachman, Palin and others who are fighting in everyway they can to see him fail! We need to have the same passion we had during the election and stand behind him now that that the times are rough! I truly believe in him, even though times are tough! I say, once again, “Yes We Can!! Go President Obama!!
Baker”s Dozen, thanks for the update. Bless you for your positive outlook. It has been a difficult year for so many, and you are to be applauded for finding the full half of the glass.
Re-reading the posts brought tears to my eyes, ironic as I have Countdown on and they are running a spoof of Sarah’s concession and victory speeches that she, thankfully, never gave. Yes, the alternative to an Obama victory is terrifying to ponder.
David Plouffe commented today that Obama is playing chess while everyone else is playing checkers. I know people all over the board have mixed feelings about his performance so far, but I thought that was a good analogy. Considering the mess he walked into, one was have to be totally nuts to expect President Obama to make huge strides at this point. I am thankful every day that we have an adult in the oval office. I think too many of us have forgotten just how dark the days of the Bush administration really were.
We all need to be patient, be positive and speak up. Make your voice heard. Continue to speak out, educate your peers, and be kind. It’s going to be a long haul.
Bless you, my Mudpuppy friends! What a wonderful ride it was and will continue to be!
I was seriously contemplating a move to Canada if McCain & Palin the Brilliant had won. If that had happened, we would all be living in caves by now.
I was ecstatic when Obama won. He is infinitely superior to the stumblebum idiot cowboy. I think that President Obama is an honest and decent man who has been handed a great big p**p sandwich thanks to his predecessor. I do not envy him. I will support him as best I can.
However, I wish he were a bit more aggressive at fulfilling some of his promises. He has shown himself to be very risk adverse when confronting his flaccid opposition in the GOP and I am left wondering why. The GOP is toothless and disordered and utterly incapable of hindering Obama if he would but lead more decisively.
I kvetch, but I am SOOOO thankful to be rid of that inarticulate clod and his torturing sidekick. Even if President Obama does not accomplish any meaningful policies, if he didn’t lie, wipe his backside with the Constitution, start any recreational wars, and institutionalize incompetence, arrogance, and mental sloth, he will have done much to restore our trust in the presidency and bring some much needed dignity back to that office.
May God bless President Obama and Vice President Biden, for He has surely blessed our nation.
Wow…..has it been only a year? It seems like a lifetime with all that has happened. We need to all be so thankful of the bullet we dodged.
So fun to re-live – I remember some posters and comments as being very funny & heartwarming (remember Sand Pile Polls in AZ?). A wonderful feeling washes over me…
And I still love my president.
I never really believed in the “End Times” meme until I saw Sarah Palin’s name on the ballot last year.
Thank you for the look back AKM I was not here at the start but this blog also saved my sanity.It is real nice to look back and remember how comitted we all were,maybe it will liven things up again and help people believe in our presidetns plans again.It is especially nice after the elections yesterday and reminds us how far we have yet to go.The NY 23 shows we can never let up on palin and what she is up to.I think people forget that congress passes bills not the president and if he pushes to hard it turns congress people off.
It was great to read the joyful messages from last year. I still have hope, it’s the enthusiasm that is lacking.
Since Obama took office I have paid closer attention than ever before to the what goes on in Washington. It has been discouraging to see all the forces in the way of change. I have accepted that the bill for health care in congress might not look exactly they way I want it to, but it might be good enough for a start. It does not help that Obama inherited the worst financial crisis since the depression. It seems to me that his hands are tied and the best solutions might be impossible at this point in time. He is still keeping his promise to us. Someone else might have said health care reform will have to wait.
We think we would be happier if Obama just pushed, threatened and stomped until he got stuff done, but that would probably just create a new set of problems. The republicans look like the party of NO for no good reason. It would not help to give them a reason.
I remember Obama saying that change was like turning a massive ship. You can’t even tell you have changed direction at first. I have no doubt that he is working hard for the right things. We can do our part by staying involved and putting pressure on our representatives in congress.
It’s not too late to do something about health care reform. Get 5 people to call their representatives and demand they represent their constituents by voting for reform. Ask those 5 people to ask 5 more and so on. It has been a year since the election, but we have to keep on fighting to get what we want.
Yes we can. Yes we did. Yes, we will continue to carry on what we supported for the ‘collective we’ (the good, the bad, and the ugly). The opposition does not have the last word. Never did, never will. Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things unseen.
We have experienced mercy with the election of President Obama. God bless him in the work that he has undertaken. We experience grace because we have faith. I appreciate the grace and mercy of the times that are a-changing. We have been prepared for this time.
Carry on AKM and faithful ‘flatters! We can be infectious with our hope. Trust that the quietly faithful exit. Yes, we can continue the struggle along politicality torturous paths because we do.
Thanks AKM – wonderful to relive some of that. I still have to pinch myself. I think a lot of progressives have let themselves/ourselves become discouraged by how slowly change is happening – but there are so many good things that have happened. For the environment alone this President has already done so much. Our very futures may hinge on having elected this man.
KO asked last night “what’s the difference between the threat to take down moderate democrats in primaries, and what the conservatives are threatening to do to moderate republicans?” and I think it’s a good question. I can’t listen to “ED” anymore on msnbc; he’s become a far left version of those who shall remain nameless on the far right. Would love a little more comity.
AKM, thank you for bringing back memories of that wonderful night (o:
I think we need to remember that President Obama said it would take time and we needed to work together for change. He never promised an insty-fix, he was realistic.
Kind of like re-working fabric to make your quilt – you start with scraps, add hard work, patience, dedication, love, lots of people, tons of TIME and the end result is beautiful!
Can’t cry at work, so I will read through this later.
Thanks for the moment to remember what we did!
And he is a great president and he is laying out his plans just like he did the campaign. They had a plan and they patiently rolled it out, they didn’t REACT, they stuck to the plan and it worked. Whenever I would think, oh he should do THIS or say THAT, he was always right in the way he handled it.
Love my President and his whole well-adjusted, no scandals or gruesome secrets, family.
Hope, Change and The Long Road: One Year Later
Read more at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/bob-cesca/hope-change-and-the-long_b_345734.html&cp
Oh, what a night that was! That moment of holding one’s breath fearing that it wasn’t real and then knowing that it was! Tears of joy. Dance of joy. I shall never forget the sudden feeling of lightness and freedom as the shroud of fear was lifted from our collective shoulders.
I have always felt that President Obama has been playing chess. I admire so much how he listens to his critics and does not allow them to excessively influence his agenda and the mandate we gave when we elected him. I know we all wish everything had been miraculously changed overnight, but it doesn’t work that way. However, the baby steps have been good.
We, the People, cannot just sit back and wait for things to be done. We must continue to work and be engaged in our democracy otherwise we become the very sheeple we disdain. To those who complain without participating in the process, you get the government you deserve.
SameOld: It would be nice if the President could try to get people to see that WE ARE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER. Shame those who only care about their own tax bill, like my BIL. Nothing and no one else matters to him.
Sports teams know they are only as good as their weakest member.
The country is stronger if everyone is doing well and has opportunities.
I really don’t care if someone games the system once in awhile, because I sleep better knowing that there is help, like food stamps, for those in need. I do not begrudge my tax dollars going to help the needy.
Even look at it selfishly, if the homeless in NYC have shelter and help, I am not stepping over them in the streets.
For a country whose citizens claim to be Christians and many insist this is a Christian country, there is little evidence of wanting to care for “the least of these” in some circles.
When I first read this, it brought it all back. On rereading it, it still brings it back; the hope, the fear, the relief and the tears.
Thanks for the reminder.
(I heard a “rumor” that President Obama may be coming to Alaska. It may be a visit to honor the military.)
This is one of my favorite videos from the campaign, “February Belongs to the Dreamers” – when he won all the caucus’ including Alaska!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FHNhc6TPXts
Great reading…I was disgusted female in above comments. I am still disgusted but ever so much more hopeful…especially as I saw people from my own state refuse to cave into the tactics of the right wing nut cases (ny23)
Just got message from the young kid who took a semester off from college to be regional leader of Obama campaign in the very rural part of Pa where I went to work every weekend…and even though he is back in college…he continues the struggle and work…this makes me very hopeful
Lani has it right…we need to keep stirring the pot…keep being fired up…we cannot let down for a moment…now on to the next big accomplishment HEALTH CARE REFORM with a public option or better yet single payer…like the Kucinich amendment yea Yes we can…yes we did…and yes we will continue to fight for what is right and just
AKM-
thank you!
Have been over at M & H’s re-reading comments for the last few days too.
Maintaining a head of steam to keep working is tough…
Remembering WHY we are working has given me renewed energy.
The Pres is only one piece of this recovery… we are the many millions…
Dowd is very funny this morning:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/05/opinion/05collins.html?th&emc=th
I am not discouraged at all with our President or the work he’s accomplished so far.
People need to remember the brink we were on!
They also need to realize he has been fought against by those who want him to look bad and fail every. step. of. the. way. since. he. took. office !
Be patient. Don’t give up hope. Believe! HELP the process!
I have to wonder if those throwing stones and being judgmental aren’t like that naturally in the first place. He’s a human being for goodness sake, not a miracle worker.
I love our President and I am very proud of what he is TRYING to get accomplished. I believe in him. I love his family.
He has been in office 9 short months. Extremely busy and some of the most seriously complicated 9 months of our country! Good grief, I cannot believe people expect more out of this man. Seriously.
Now, that being said. I am more than disappointed in ALL of the Republican leaders, with perhaps the exception of Snow, I’m also disappointed some of our Democrat officials. If anyone wants to bitch, it should be about these people! GAH.
I am most proud of Grayson, he’s the man of the hour.
I am not discouraged at all with our President or the work he’s accomplished so far.
People need to remember the brink of disaster we were on!
They also need to realize he has been fought against by those who want him to look bad and fail every. step. of. the. way. since. he. took. office ! And Scarah has been an irritating distraction, she needs to go down, we have wasted precious time with her damn divisiveness stirring the pot of hatred creating a huge distraction, I am sick of her drama.
Be patient with our President. Don’t give up hope. Believe! HELP the process! Support him.
I have to wonder if those throwing stones and being judgmental aren’t like that naturally in the first place, those who may tend to see the glass as half empty rather than half full. He’s a human being for goodness sake, not a miracle worker.
I love our President and I am very proud of what he is TRYING to accomplish. I believe in him. I love his family. I trust he is attempting to do the best he can. He certainly doesn’t need those who voted for him to abandon ship and cry mutiny.
He has been in office 9 short months. Extremely busy and some of the most seriously complicated 9 months of our country! Good grief, I cannot believe people expect more out of this man. Seriously.
Now, that being said. I am more than disappointed in ALL of the Republican leaders, with perhaps the exception of Snow, I’m also disappointed some of our Democrat officials. If anyone wants to bitch, it should be about these people! GAH.
I am most proud of Grayson, he’s the man of the hour right now.
I have been thinking a lot about what was going on this time last year, the excitement in the air while I was knocking on doors and making phone calls. But we Americans are so impatient: the President promised change and we want it now! Why hasn’t he cleaned everything up by now? We can’t lose sight of the fact that just having a healthcare bill on the table is HISTORIC. Change IS coming, but nothing worth having happens quickly. We have a formidable opponent in the R party. When you get frustrated with Obama think of this: if the R’s used all the energy they put into obstruction into working WITH the President, imagine how far we’d be.
It is hard to believe it’s been just one year. It feels like a lifetime. I have been disappointed at the lack of new jobs, lack of health care & our presence in Iran & Afganistan. I watch very little news now because it makes me too angry. The GOP & wingnuts are just awful. Obama is a cautious man & I hope he senses the need to press a little harder now. I’m not sure what the recent elections told us, but I thnk disappointment & apathy are apparent. I was fun to see all the old names. That was when everyone included Hussein in their names. Funny.
It’s been a year and what a year it has been!
I will always remember the emotions of that night as Obama was announced victorious. My parents were visiting us from Australia and what I really wanted to do was jump up and down with joy and cry and laugh till I was exhausted =) But my parents tend to not like those kinds of outbursts of emotion. Stiff upper lip and all that.
So I sat in my chair with the biggest smile, holding back tears and just thankful that we averted a McCain-Palin disaster. I thought of you guys here and just was so grateful to have witnessed this moment in history.
I didn’t vote – I couldn’t. I am not an American citizen yet, only a permanent resident. But my husband is – and he voted. He is a lifelong Republican and he voted for Obama. He EARLY voted. He stood in line for 3 hours at 2 different polling places so he could vote for Obama (there was some confusion as to which county we were in and we were told conflicting information). My dear husband, I was so proud. For a man who would sooner read the NFL news than politics, it was a big deal that he voted at all.
One year on, I must admit, I have been disappointed at times. But, as a Christian, I believe that Obama was allowed to become President for a reason. Even if you disagree with me on that, it’s ok =) At the very least we can agree that Obama was and still IS the best man for the hardest job in the world.
I love this country. I’ve lived here for 6 years and it’s grown on me. My husband is a typical American: opinionated, independent, intelligent, proud of his country, loud, sometimes obnoxious but undeniably charismatic =) I hope and pray for even better days ahead for America and her people.
Lastly – stay the course. We may disagree and we may get frustrated, even discouraged. But stay the (progressive) course. Together – this country said NO to hate and division. Let’s not now hate and divide amongst ourselves. Support our President, support the Progressive cause and hold him accountable when it’s needed – most of all, let’s all be patient. It took 8 years to get here, it will take time to reverse the damage.
Sarah Palin and her ilk must not, can not win. Darkness can not be allowed to prevail. America is the Light of the West – it’s been a long time since that light shone this bright. Stay the course, hold the line, we’ll get there.
Just reading these comments brought tears to my eyes…only b/c of how far away we are now from the HOPE that spread across the country then. As it stands now, I will not vote for Obama again. My disappointment in him is overwhelming – and is growing daily.
Amazing. How wonderful to be reminded of that feeling that came with the announcement that we would have President Obama. My disappointment comes not with our president, but with those who do not see fit to give him any time whatsoever to accomplish the myriad goals he and we have for our country. Talk about an uphill battle. I would like to see some different things too, but consider the alternative. Remember Hope? Remember Hope.
Nice little re-cap of a very exciting night–especially for those of us suffering from PTSS from the last two elections. Yes, me too, Yard Sign. I love this President.
This is not meant to bring anyone down, because time will heal all wounds, and God has a plan, and all that stuff. I do believe that things worked out the way they were supposed to, but …
I wish I could share the memories of your feelings of election night last year, but it was all overshadowed for me by the fact that I spent the day fretting and frantically planning an emergency trip to California (from Florida) – and had airlines, coordinating with relatives, bosses to call to get my classes covered. My dad, who’d had a stroke over five years earlier, suffered a fall (the circumstances of which I prefer not to go into). The brain damage turned out to be massive, as in, think Terry Scheivo. So the whole momentousness of Obama’s victory was not anything I could grasp and feel.
I remember my husband periodically coming in, while I was on the phone with people, giving me the election updates. And when Obama was declared the winner, he came to me with such eagerness, hoping that news would make me feel a little better. I suppose it did, but it was hard to express it at the time.
So feeling a little teary at the reminder it was a year ago Monday my Dad passed away.
Let’s just say I feel a renewed commitment to encourage everyone to discuss with their families and doctors their wishes regarding these types of emergency care situations, and to get their wishes written down!
My dad did not die for lack of health care, but it was only because of medicare that all this did not bankrupt him and my mother. They terminated his other insurance because it had become too expensive to keep. As grateful as I am that medicare exists, my dad’s post-stroke life would have been improved had he had that other insurance. Y’see, turns out you can work at a job all your adult life with great benefits – he was a public school teacher – but upon retirement, while you get a pension, you have to pay for your own insurance. I did not know that (never having had, apparently, a ‘real job’).
And we all know how those costs have gone through the roof. I just found out that to sign up with my husband’s Equity insurance, it would cost us $660 a month! And we might be able to afford that, just, but if the costs keep increasing like they have, we will not be. Period. End of report.
Public Option Now!!!!!!!!!!!
Oh, to gravitate back to topic, I’m so happy that at least DC is talking about health care for once. Obama has clearly made a effort to make good on one of the promises that made me want to vote for him. Had McCain won, do you think we’d even be talkin’ about health care/insurance reform now?
Dad did send in his absentee ballot before all this happened and I’m pretty sure he did NOT vote for Obama. But that’s OK. I just thought of my dad and smiled … and that’s all I need.
In spite of all my current carping about what is being done or not being done or not being more thoroughly done, I still get this fond lump in my throat when I think back to that night: watching the countdown to the closing of the west coast polls and then the announcement. I still remembering watching the crowds in Time Square (like New Years only better) explode with joy. Then I watched the local news and saw the footage of the DC residents celebrating in the streets and then partying in Lafayette Square before the White House. Nothing can take that away from me.
Awesome night that I’ll never forget, especially the celebrations all over the world!! GWB nearly destroyed our reputation in the world…..and PO’s election gave hope back to many people in the world that the USA was once again a country to respect, not fear and loathe.
Thank you, AKM, for printing my comment and reminding me what I felt that night. As I re-read my words I was struck by how there really has been a profound shift in my life. In the past year I’ve experienced some personal breakthroughs that make a huge difference in how I approach the world. It’s not so much about politics, although I am more hopeful about our country’s direction, especially in my state where we voted to uphold the civil rights of ALL our citizens to enjoy the rights of domestic partnerships.
I don’t post much anymore, but I’m still a regular reader and a great admirer of your spunk, wit, smarts. Keep it up, girl!