Vox populi, and that. Which is how we do things.
A pair of contenders have faced the nation, run a relatively rancor-free campaign considering the circumstances, with nothing but the usual skulduggeries perpetuated by the usual suspects – who after all, were only doing what partisans do – and the people, in their wisdom, have made their choice.
We should all wish the president-elect well and hope that he’s a quick study, for our fates are conjoined, at least for the next four years. When we get to go through the whole rumpus again.
For a number of years, one of our great political parties had a free run of the board. Now the other side gets a hack at it. Obstacle free, like. As I’ve said before, if they do a good job, then all of our misgivings were misplaced.
If they don’t?
There’s always change.
We’ve also elected a person of color to the top political office in the land. That was never, pace the Benetton set, sufficient reason in itself. But it’s not nothing, either. We’ve been carrying some serious baggage for quite some time, and for my own part, I’ve gotten pretty weary of it. Come back and tell me afterward how the man is keeping you down.
We can also say farewell to the legions of homeless, at least for a while. That’s been solved. And all of those loons on stilt puppets. Farewell to all that.
Sometimes you’ve got to find the pony in the pile of shit.
Which is not to say that we give our new political class a pass. We should watch them like hawks, compare their policies to our preferences, hold them accountable, safeguard the Constitution.
But we need to do it honestly. Eschew the temptation to make things up. Trust, ultimately, in the wisdom of the people. We’re a huge conglomeration of small towns connected suddenly by a world with no boundaries. A conglomeration of fundamentally good people. We’ll figure it out. We muddle through. That’s our genius.
You can fool all of the people some of the time, and some of the people all of the time. But you can’t fool all of the people all of the time.
Hey, some things are true even if a Yankee believes them.
In America, anyone can become president.
That’s one of the risks you take.
Update: Look, Ma – No riots!
I’m trying to withhold judgement… I’m not thrilled at the prospect of an Obama presidency.. but.. well, I don’t know.
I do know that I’ve listened for quite some time now to the cry of “You had the presidency and both houses of Congress for years, and you accomplished nothing!! Nothing!!!” Well, now that the other side of the aisle has all three it will be interesting to see how they magically fix everything -and what they have to say for themselves when things don’t get fixed.
Now that is has been decided let me finally get this off my chest I’ve been holding in for months-GW Bush is the greatest wartime president since Lincoln. Even better than FDR…Ahhhh- that feels good.
Thank you B2. Thank you. I heartily agree. The NY Times had an article this past Sunday (yes that NYT) that spoke about all the things that various writers and others would miss about President Bush. I give you the list of truth from Ari Fleischer:
We haven’t been attacked since 9/11, Libya no longer has nuclear weapons, Syria was stopped from acquiring them, Saddam Hussein is gone, and Iraq is on its way to being a nation that fights terrorism — all on President Bush’s watch. His job approval may now be low, but he should leave office with his head held high. I hope his successors recognize the strength that moral clarity can provide.
The man will be blamed for every ill in the world for the next 4 years – because The One is untouchable of course.
Except I can only think of one line from the movie “The Untouchables” – it wasn’t even spoken, it was left in writing:
Touchable.
Oh yes, The One will be touchable. It’s about the only thing I’m looking forward to for the next 4 years.
“No riots” you say, Lex? That’s because it was the grown-ups who lost. It would have been far otherwise if it had been the Other Party.
Marianne
Marianne-
re: “it was the grown-ups who lost”
I respectfully present to you the empirical evidence of the crowd reactions during the candidates’ concession/victory speeches last night. At each (of the multiple) mentions of “Obama” or “Biden”, the crowd errupted in a chorus of boos and had to be waved back and quelled by McCain before he could continue. He was gracious, and eminiently classy; his assembled supporters: less so, in the aggregate.
Obama mentioned McCain in his speech. The crowd responded with respectful applause.
It provided a stark contrast, IMO.
Although, I suppose it is always easier to be gracious when you’re the winner.
Surely you jest, Humble. The valid comparison is between the losing scenarios, with one example being scattered “boos” and the other example driving armed riot police on alert across the nation.
John 16:33
“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
John 16:32-33 (in Context) John 16 (Whole Chapter)
Pretty remarkable to look at the county map of CONUS and see how red it was in this election…
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/politics/interactives/campaign08/election/uscounties.html
Obama mentioned McCain in his speech. The crowd responded with respectful applause.
It provided a stark contrast, IMO.
Now this is stark:
http://littlegreenfootballs.com/weblog/pictures/20080613BarackCheOhio.jpg
And deserves every bit of “contrast” that can be mustered….
All I know is that my youngest daughter, a 5th grader, came home from school today in a really bad mood. It seems that her teacher was lecturing the class about the Messiah’s win, and had tears of joy streaming down her face the whole time.
My daughter was one of 5 kids in the 5th grade (all the kids of veterans or active duty) who voted FOR McCain in their mock election.
I’d like to buy a new gun. I had to sell all mine to cover expenses but I figure I need to scrape some cash together to acquire a new one soon.
While I still can.
AW1 Tim: I had a similar experience in 8th grade during the Ford/Carter election. I was one of about 10 kids voting for Ford. Our Current Events and History teach was voting for Carter. It was horrible. My parents complained and the nightmare stops.
This was in Massachusetts too. So complain to the school Tim – you never know they might actually listen.
Kris, as I watched the glazed over and doting eyes from Grant Park and across the country last night I was also reminded of 1976.
I was a high school senior and, embarrassed to say, a Carter volunteer. Went door to door to help get out the votes for the democrats and the “change” candidate.
I owe Jimmy Carter a great deal. He converted me to an independent Reagan voter by the time I was 21. I suspect Mr. Obama will have a similar influence on some of the google-eyed swarm.
For the record, I found some interesting reading in one of the minor prophets: Habakkuk.
Maybe a bit of wisdom container therein.
I’ve been down in the dumps since it looked like The One would win last night. Couldn’t watch the “victory” speech once I saw one of the young screamers hold her hands in that stupid, vacuous “O” position.
Bah.
I see Jimmy Carter (or worse) coming at us, especially with this economic crisis now. I can just see Obama telling us to put on sweaters to stay warm, inflate our tires to conserve gas, eat less because the French need to eat, too. And, oh by the way, turn in your guns so the military can be rearmed because we can’t buy them new ones.
We’ll be cold, starved, and unarmed. And Bill Ayers will the the Secretary of Education, so all our children will be brainwashed to believe that we’re evil and deserve what happens to us. There is no American Exceptionalism, no American Dream.
Sorry.
I need to go to my hole and crawl in for a few days and cry. Maybe then I can see a light at the end. All I can see now is the end of dreams and hopes.
b2 – Thank you for your words on Pres. Bush!
Thanks for the link, Sid. Pretty interesting.
Hey, AW1 Tim! Talk about standing out in a sea of blue, ole Piscataquis county looks like the lone bastion north of Long Island and east of the NY vertical state line. If’n I’m ever up that way I’d have to buy someone a beer or two. Now when is that that the skeeters aren’t too terribly god awful? Josh’n…..kind regards, bc
Badbob,
I second MissBirdlegs. Over at PJM Roger L. Simon has linked to a piece by Jeffrey Scott Shapiro that should be required reading for every conversative and/or Republican. President George W. Bush deserved a helluva lot better than what he’s gotten from his own party and from people who should have had his back. God knows the man had his faults, but he’s been systematically slimed and slandered by a bunch of media morons
and democratic party hacks that aren’t collectively fit to shine his shoes. And I’m a little ashamed that we let that happen.
Having put on my chef’s cap for the evening meal, and not wishing to face the chattering class, I bagged this whole election thing last night at 8:45 and went to bed.
Except for the radio, and a brief 10 to 15 minutes of morning java and TV, I have once again avoided this whole election thing. Today, as in the past month or so, the pundits on radio (NPR of course) were tossing the dreaded “T” word (aka transformational) around.
Tuned into Neptunus Lex to see how Lex’s correspondents were handling the election results. Not a group of happy campers…
The House Engineer did report on a radio story. Last night the students at the Eastman School of Music (part of the University of Rochester) formed a band, and banged their drums, blared their flutes, bowed their violins, and blew their trumpets in an impromptu march down Main Street to the Dem’s hotel victory party where they joined the hilarity. On the way back to their dorm, they were all arrested and thrown into the clink, only to be released this AM… Noise ordinance, creating a nuisance, or something like that – maybe a story that will make them heroes to their grandkids…
That is it, for the time being, unless Lex raises the key question of how Conservatism and/or the Republican Party are going to dig themselves out of the hole they so artfully created for themselves.
Perhaps I shouldn’t be. But I am more than a little amazed at the extent of the wailing and gnashing of teeth here, resulting from Obama’s election. One would think Alaric was at the gate.
Our great country has been in a slow decline on several levels for over a decade, and indeed two presidencies. Many here seem to be in denial of that fact.
The wild prognostications of an Obama administration are just that, wild prognostications. Although some seem certain he is doomed to failure, what is really troubling is that it seems some may actually want him to fail. Incredible. Some may not like him, but wishing he might fail is wishing our country’s failure. And that is most unpatriotic.
We have by a significant majority elected a man whom most of our voting citizens – and indeed the world – believe he can return the US to its former greatness. Give the man the benefit of a doubt, at least until he proves otherwise.
McCain lost control of his campaign. He became subject to outside forces and made foolish mistakes. Obama ran a far more efficient and impressive campaign… a model of how he may lead this country. Hitting the ground running, it looks like his transition team and cabinet will be well organized and peopled with experienced people of relevant expertise, rather than the political cronies of the last administration.
Our new president-elect will inherit monumental problems, unseen in half a century. Let us wish him well and pray for his success. OK?
Flit — Obama has offered the COS job to Rahm Emmanuel, former Clinton staffer, head of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, and Chicago Democratic machine politician. His transition team will be headed by John Podesta, Clinton’s last COS and currently head of a Soros funded think tank (as humorous as that may sound — check your non “progressive” thoughts at the door, please).
Sure am glad he is choosing “experienced people of relevant expertise” rather than the the “political cronies of the last administration”. Guess that is all in the procrustean eye of the beholder, huh?
Our new president-elect will inherit monumental problems, unseen in half a century.
Flit, what are you? 12?
Guess you don’t remember 1981 when Reagan took over. Economy then made this one look like a boom. Hostages in Iran. Gas prices at all time high. Military in shambles. National pride at all time low.
By the way – most of the problems we face today were created by our President elect and his folks.
OP, Flit,
We lost but we’re not Losers. There’s a distinction.
Gnashing? Hardly. I offer you “winners” congratulations!
Remember this however. The “productive side” of the American house will still produce all kinds of things besides taxable capital and wealth for distribution to the non-productive side..What I am talking about are children with the same core values belief system who become adults and are immune to the left’s cultural and political proclivities promulgated through the education/media systems. They will become warriors, scientists, plumbers, roofers, engineers and yes, maybe even lawyers and journalists. Nothing changes- hearts and minds…
Even y’all of the intuitive “feeling class” must admit that winning by 5% isn’t a mandate. Especially when our guy ran against a media star! I suggest you ruminate on that basic fact and think carefully before you dance your jigs!
Rochester, NY, eh? Enjoy an early winter Paul. Maybe the sun will come out before next June! ..Ain’t that the city portrayed in “Player Piano”?
Scott,
Rahm Emanual?- ain’t that a hoot. He’s a mean feller..give me 5 minutes alone with him in a racketball court with the door locked for a wumping(just a vision I just had excuse me)..One of his fellow Clintonista’s this morning called him a “cross between a hemmohroid and a toothache”!
“R-E-S-P-E-C-T”. LOL.
b2
Was wondering when the red tide would roll in. (and if you’re unfamiliar with this naturally occuring marine ecosystem phenomenom, it has nothing to do with communism, but the mechanisms are surprisingly not entirely dissimilar). Quite the cooincidence comments 66 & 67 flaoted in together.
OP, your’re entitled. It is a free country. But how superior of you to remark that you”bag this whole election thing” and “once again avoided this whole election thing”, and then. Gloat. It’s ok, true colors and all. I’ve read your posts and believe you’ve had quite a bit to say over the last few months.
Flit, I won’t be one of those who change my principles and beliefs because others believe I should, for the good of the country. He and his party and their ideas are not mine. Pick eight out of ten platform issues. It’s not that I don’t wish him well, but I wish it more for our nation. Time for a change? Yep. Was McCain they best my party could offer? Sadly, it appears so. And so we paid. But I ain’t drinking the Kool-aid.
Many moons ago, while the Dems still had not whittled themselves down to the battle between Hillary and Obama, I first commented on this blog. The issue then, as it is now, was denigrating terms and funny names applied to the Democratic candidates. It goes without saying that once you have demonized a political opponent, you no longer have to examine the problems and issues confronting the nation.
My attempt has been to raise those problems and issues that confound our nation. In an attempt to facilitate discussion, I provided links, in part to provide data, and in part to challenge entrenched thinking. Perhaps that was a mistake, for sure it may have been a waste of time, but it did accomplish one thing. In the Universe of a Navy blog, there were individuals who were willing to present alternative views.
I have said it before, and I will say it again, conservative philosophy is not the same as the hard right ideology that dominates the Republican Party. That ideology was rejected in the Congressional election in ’06, and was again rejected during this election. My advise To Scott, Nose, BadBob, BC, et all is to consider the Pew Research exit polls of this election. That dreadful heinous rag, the NY Times, has collapsed the data into a simple series telling graphics.
A strong cup of coffee, and 5 minutes with the NY Times graphic, will define the political problem that conservative face. The Republican Party has become predominantly white, is aging out, and despite fielding a women in the vice-presidential slot, was unable to capture the female vote. The only area where the GOP was able to gain in vote total, was in the deep south and Alaska – it is becoming a regional party. The most ominous fact is that the educated and young voters have moved decisively to the left.
I am neither gloating or reveling in Obama’s electoral victory. Democracy works best when reasonable tension exists in the halls of government, and balance is achieved through reasonable compromise.
Gentlemen, if you do not recognize the problem, you will not be able to provide a solution.
Fliterman is right, if the tenure of this thread represents the conservative movement it will flame out in 2010. Argue issues, present solutions, leave name calling to those who have no vision, and live in the past…
OP: how droll. you said “tenure”, vice using the correct word “tenor”. but i’m quite sure you meant that, cuz that would be the enlightened way for you to express disdain, with such witty wordplay.
..and you are also correct that leaving name calling to un-visionary past-livers is the path.
thus, (as i may have mentioned in the past): “You’re a dick!”
Nonsense; before Wall Street melted down in mid-September all the data indicated Obama was on the ropes. The Obama win wasn’t ideologically-driven, it was fear-driven.
Reasonable compromise would be the path for Obama to consolidate, unite and govern effectively from the middle. Rahm Emmanuel does not bode well for that scenario.
OP,
In the 18-30 crowd 37% voted for McCain.
Seed corn. Quality seed corn. Sure ,we’re all yokels..LOL.
/out.
b2
@Flatlander#74 – “Rahm Emmanuel does not bode well for that scenario.”
Neither does the Kennedy Klan and John Kerry in various & sundry posts. Who would be surprised at C. Powell as SECDEF? Can you say, “Let’s Make A Deal”?
Best headline ever, in a way only The Onion can do:
Lex and you other dear hearts … I have just one final comment to make on this very strange election. I think we would be very naive to expect that the election of Obama would bring an end to the what seems to be perpetual complaints by our darker brethren that they’ve been treated unfairly ever since the Civil War and we owe them lots of things, primarily financial reparations as well as bowing and respect at every encounter.
Who the heck among our diverse citizens ever gets that anyway? No specialized group in our vast and varied country ever gets that on an automatic basis. Women don’t. The military [God bless them every one] don’t. Other ethnic groups don’t. Ministers and priests don’t. The Jews don’t. It’s a tough world out there.
The blacks in this country, during the bad old days of rampant racial prejudice learned that the media in this country was a powerful force. And when talking to the media they learned how to highlight their inequities of treatment, as all minority groups since the dawn of time have learned to do. And it worked in a way that filtered all through society’s strongholds — academia, the political power world, the churches, all of the major power centers. And it changed the way the country and its representatives treated them.
Do you honestly expect that this group, the blacks, will voluntarily give up these paths to the centers of power? They will continue to want, and expect such special treatment as preferential enrollment in educational institutions, admission to desirable venues because of their color and the undeniable fact that 146 years ago Americans treated them badly — very badly. So did other countries in the world of that time, but that’s their problem. American black people are a problem of this country’s making.
My point is that the blacks of this country won’t feel that our election of a black man to the Presidency means we have done enough to create that elusive balance of respect and friendship. And I think we would be naive to expect that. Nothing we do during your lifetime or mine will be “enough.”
So, cowboy up, my friends. This will be a long tough road ahead. And don’t expect miracles of understanding. It ain’t gonna happen.
But I love our country very much for being willing to keep trying.
Marianne
Ah Yes, RetRsvMike’s eye caught that one cold, once again proving that the time allocation should be between 1/3 writing, 2/3 revising and word checking. Your scorn is well deserved, your invective above any criticism I may offer.
Never implied you were a yokel badbob, in fact I have always suspected that behind your rough and tough façade lurks a world class mind. Raw statistics and poll numbers, such as I presented in my com #72 are nothing more than a bit of popcorn, food for thought if you wish…
Your disdain is noted. I suspect that you are searching for ways to stretch your thinking, and find my offerings inadequate. Pat Ruffini of Next Right fame is no mean slouch of a thinker, and attracts a lively discussion group. His post today, The Straight-Ticket Youth Vote will be of interest. The discussion is lively and well worth a perusal.
OP,
I ain’t a soul searcher in need of more statistics to know why it happened..Part cult of personality, novelty, promised freebies, a pacified Iraq/short-term memory of 9-11 and about 99% fear of the economic situation brought on by a credit meltdown mainly due to their own excess…
The demographics? If you acknowledge my seed corn point, my point that this wasn’t a mandate- numbers wise…I’ll cede to yours. With the caveat that I recognize the numbers but don’t agree with the interpretive analysis.
The American people are more center right than you would ever know. Nobody in here has much mentioned it since Tuesday, but did what happened in California w/Prop8 register?
Marianne,
You have observed this drama longer than I and I respect your opinion. You are probably right. I’ve said it at least twice in here- the 40 acres and a mule debt? It’s paid in full with this election. I only ask for more personal responsibility and accountability from American blacks as a bloc. I say clean up your house- no more excuses. From a simple point of economics we can’t afford to carry you any further up the road.You need to stand up on your own legs. I’m tired of the B.S.
b2
..with b2 and OP coming to consensus in acknowledging the relative strengths of each other’s positions, and lex and flit agreeing on some non-existent aircraft design element, i see the new era of hope and change already.
it’s not just a chimera, (or unicorn if you would prefer).
..far be it from me to inter-dict.
B2 — Flight Lead works in health care. Raised by a democrat, union carpenter father, big supporter of women’s reproductive rights. But sick and tired of the death of personal responsiblity, aided and abetted by the mommy party. Fed up with the families that demand — yes, demand — extraordinary measures, all Medicaid or charity funded, for their 410 pound, 5’7″, 45 year old relative, dying of heart disease. She wants to scream back just as loud, “Where were you when they ate their way into Type II diabetes?” “Did you give them that third piece of pie for Thanksgiving?” That is the responsibility shirking environment we live in, and I don’t have any hope it will do anything but get worse over the next four years.
When the president-elect demands responsibility from the beneficiaries of “spreading the wealth”, to the same level his VP demands “patriotism” from the bill payers………
B2,
I think you have hit on a very important point and its one that also has application to the immigration problem.
Regardless of the color of one’s skin-this is still an English country-descended from British social traditions. The immigrants who came here in the begining of the century, I believe understood that very well and by the 3rd generation in general were well adapted to our Anglo-Saxon customs.
Somewhere along the way that went off the tracks. And its true with African Americans too. I hate that term by the way, Blacks in America have nothing in common with those in Africa. Black Americans and White Amercians too need to assimilate into that common American culture-or there is not starting point from which to build a concensus. Having English be the official language might be a good way to start.