Hmmmm.... how does this one get written without pissing off people???? Well, it doesn't, and that's OK. That's the great thing about living in these United States of America - I get to say things that piss people off and that's OK, crazy, but OK. Just like you get to say "she's nuts" after reading it.
So here goes...
I am not all all surprised by the election results. I knew Senator/President-Elect Obama would blow Sen. McCain out of the water. I understand this was a "historical election", but was it going to be that for the right reasons. Yes, it is historical that our country, after forty+ years of desegregation, had a black person on the Presidential ticket. Yes, it's historical that a black person will now, finally, be President of the United States. Yes, it's historical that there was such a huge influx of newly registered or first time voters.
My question is: because of the race or because of the race? I went to bed last night wondering if people, in general, vote for/against a color - black/white, red/blue? Were they voting for/against the black man, for/against the white man, for/against the blue, for/against the red? It just naive, almost ignorant, to think that it's possible a good percentage of new voters came out because they were for/against a color and that is just stupid. Whether it's "No black man will be my President", "John McCain is just another Republican - no more George Bush's", "I don't think his running mate is qualified to be President", "He's a Socialist", etc. When voting for the President, you need to make your decision based on qualifications and views on matters that are most important to you and your family. I understand that this is not atypical of elections. When you don't know the right answer, votes get made based on a color sometimes.
With that said, no, I don't think the best candidate won. I don't think we had the best option, either way. I don't think "we the people", in general, voted for/against the right reasons. Unfortunate as that may be, such is life. We will see how our decision pans out.
I watched two remarkable speeches last night. One very gracious, one very inspirational. I have high hopes for President-Elect Obama. My children's futures are in his hands for the next four years. I hope he does great things and is seen as a great leader because of his actions, not just because of the moving words he's says. Yes, there is a place in the history books for Barack Hussein Obama, our nations' first black President. Rightly so. Last night was huge for the black citizens of this great nation. I hope his presidency will provide bigger and better, more important, things to put in the books than just that. It can't and shouldn't be just about a color. Good luck to you Sir.
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Young and old, rich and poor, Democrat and Republican, black, white, Latino, Asian, Native American, gay, straight, disabled and not disabled — Americans who sent a message to the world that we have never been a collection of Red States and Blue States: we are, and always will be, the United States of America." B. Obama
