A New Day

First, I am very saddened by John McCain's loss last night. No one disputes the man was a war hero or that he returned to a country that loathed him and others like him and continued to work to make it a better place. No one who has watched John McCain for the past fifteen years could ever mistake him for George Bush, not in their heart of hearts. And yet, people like McCain, who was clearly a party stand-in with no real chance given the exceptionally poor nature of his campaign management, continue to take an ass kicking at the hands of his fellow countrymen only to get back up and say "Thank you sir, may I have another?" What the Republican party did to John McCain was disgraceful, the fact that McCain allowed it even more so, and the fact that most Americans swallowed it hook, line, and sinker only proves that P. T. Barnum was right when he said a sucker is born every minute, and that apparently all of them went to the polls yesterday and cast a vote for a man they know next to nothing about.

Having said all that, I think Obama is an extraordinary man too. I am glad beyond belief to see a person of mixed racial background lead our country in a new direction. Senator Obama did something no candidate has done in my lifetime, save perhaps Reagan, he mobilized voters in unprecedented ways. I stood in line for over an hour and a half (almost two hours, in fact) and I have never been more moved, more awed, and more excited by the process than I was yesterday. I have hope that a man like that can bring unprecedented changes to this country that are for the better. I am also extremely hopeful that he'll restore our reputation with the rest of the world. In other words, I did not vote for him, but he's now my President, and I will support him in any way that I, as an average citizen, can.

I worry too though, that he sold the American people a bill of goods that he does not have the ability to deliver. Can this same man who wants to regulate, regulate, regulate, and spend billions on health care, energy independence, infrastructure improvements, education and other large-scale reform, be the same man whose ad during a recent NFL game touted him as a champion of gun owners? Will Joe the Plumber and others like him be able to withstand an Obama presidency and emerge on the other side with their businesses in tact...? What will become of Iraq ... I knew where McCain stood on Iraq, exactly what he meant we he articulated his broad view on foreign policy by saying we'd stay a hundred years if we had to; as for Obama, I am not clear on what "careful" withdrawal means to him.

I am also saddened by Elizabeth Dole losing her seat in the Senate last night. Personally, I ♥ Mrs. Dole. I would quit my job, sell everything I owned, and do anything to get out the vote for someone like Elizabeth. She is a true class act. There is no point in dwelling on it, but a choice of her as VP would have likely made McCain a much stronger candidate. Oh well, the Democratic majority in the Senate has given them all plenty of rope, we'll just have to wait and see how long before they hang themselves with it as the Republicans have done over the last eight years.

This morning I looked to the media, as we all probably are, for indications of who Mr. Obama will choose for his cabinet. I would like to see one Republican, or at least an Independent... I would like to see at least one woman, and at least one person of difference, someone who will not echo back Obama's own feelings but who might provide a counterpoint that would be carefully considered in an Obama administration.

Some things I have been reading/thinking through:
1. If an Obama presidency can rid us of bitterness like this then it is totally worth it.

2. The Republicans are at a fork in the road. I listened to Geraldo Rivera' s comments on Fox News this morning and I could not have agreed more. The GOP, not McCain (or even Palin) has alienated people of color by trying to reach out to a far right-wing religous block. That block is tired of being lied to about the abortion issue and they'll not continue to vote Republican (or maybe they wull) but they did not need convincing about John McCain, the center did, and the center my friends, is where the Republicans failed. Oh, and it's the economy stupid or the stupid economy or whatever...

3. As usual, Democrats are already prancing around telling everyone how they know what's best. And how smart they are compared to the 47% of the country who saw swiss cheese size holes in Obama's "plans"... this article, I find as reprehensible as the commentary it argues against. Karl Rove's tactics are dead, and even Rove predicted it. Savor. Ugh.... Karl Rove's tactics elected Barack Obama, go on deny it; it's true.

4. Since I feel like even after reading all of his "plans" I know less and less about Barack Obama, I am interested in how leftist his administration will be, where will he start... ? What's first, what's next, when do we as a citizenry get started and who'll guide that effort?

Some things to consider:
"While Roosevelt refused to get involved in prescribing economic medicine between his election in 1932 and his inauguration, advisers said Mr. Obama had concluded that he could not follow that example and remain silent until he was sworn in. At the same time, they said, Mr. Obama understands he should not overstep his bounds and wants his inauguration to mark a clean break from the past."

Good Luck Mr. President Obama, you'll need it!