Its Election Day!
Hi! Anybody else there nervous on election day? I have did about as much as I could do to help elect Obama. I organized three rallies, knocked on doors, ran ads in the papers, and made some telephone calls. That is about as much as one can do in my very rural environment. If I increased Democratic votes in my county to 55%, it was a successful adventure. My area is more Republican that the downstate urban areas.
Anybody else feeling like a cat on a hot roof? I am scared the election is going to be fixed or there will be voter fraud in some way.
Let us communicate today and tomorrow. The Democratic get togethers are all too far away for me and I want to have a couple drinks to calm down and don't want to drive. I will attend a get together tomorrow. Usually you don't know anything until the wee hours of the morning anyway.
Whats up with you? Jim
- Jim Ramelis's blog
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What a relief!
My wife and I voted for McKinney, while our local son, James, and his wife voted for Obama, with James even taking two days off from work to go to New Hampshire with one of his old friends from high school to work on getting out the Obama (and Democratic Senator) vote.
Although, as you know, I'm no Obamaniac, I had tears in my eyes watching the students from Spellman College reacting to the electoral vote count go over the top and then seeing the tears in the eyes of old Jesse Jackson, whose presidential campaign still owes me more than 100 bucks (not counting decades of interest) from an unpaid printing bill at my old Broadside Press in Champaign IL. (I would have gladly donated it if their local chairwoman had only been gracious enough to respond politely to the statements we sent her.)
Apart from any contentious political issues, the spiritual breakthrough is wondrous. I hope we collectively can Hold The Thought.
Thinking back to my first presidential vote, the first Eisenhower/Stevenson matchup, and all the ones that followed, I'm moved to say that, despite my reservations about his centrism, when I consider Obama's intelligence and temperament, plus his organizing sense and steady judgment in running his campaign, I'm inclined to think that he may well be the most qualified presidential candidate I've seen since FDR.
Bill
Good comments
Obama is right, this isn't about him alone. It is about us. Looking at the faces on MSNBC during the acceptance speech, (Jessie Jackson often focused upon) you could see the dreams and new spark of life in the joys and tears of the people. It is not Obama's dream that our nation seeks, it is Obama's leadership, his ability to listen to and hear the hopes of our people, and the intelligence and even temperament of this dynamic leader, to bring together the passions and dreams of our nation. The youth danced with joy, sensing a new day dawning, the elders like me and you wept at a hope reborn. Know for certain that the power structures in present leadership will resist change; That the debt and financial crisis will make change difficult; but the depth of the problem makes the time more critical and opportunity greater. Obama can't personally listen to 10 million dreams, 50 million dreams, 300 million dreams, but if we as a progressive movement will set ourselves to listening to the dreams of the people we know and come into contact with then share our own with those willing to listen (the order is important -- listen first, share second) our nation could forge a vision of a more perfect union, with justice and liberty for all. Let Obama's victory inspire a symbolic front porch with rockers and neighbors sharing the joys and struggles of life. This is our Victory. This is our Moment. This is our call to hope. Can you see the promised land?
re: power structure resistance
When you wrote, John, that "the power structure in present leadership will resist change", I hope you were also considering how Obama is very much part of that power structure. People long associated with the Democratic Leadership Council surround Obama as economic advisors -- Rubin and Furman, Summers, Volcker, and many others, who are both able and very establishment.
Financial analysts talk about how many of Obama's advisors, like Larry Summers, work or have worked in Hedge Funds. Rubin made zillions as Citibank's CEO before Citibank tanked. Rahm Emmanuel been offered the position of White House chief of staff - he's another DLC stalwart who was instrumental in replacing liberal Congressional candidates with more centrist candidates in 2006.
But I think you're right on when you say that it's up to as as a progressive movement to move things along. Obama says that too. We better take him at his word or else he's not likely to move out of his comfort zone. It's best to take him without illusions: disillusionment can either crush the spirit or stir people to anger and action -- but I think, particularly with our politically inexperienced youth cohort, it's more likely to be crush hope and crush action.
And the promised land? I don't see it yet. Obama says it's a steep climb from here. I believe it: there's a long, long trail a-winding.... And I don't think he's really in a position to "promise you - we as a people will get there." But I like his emphasis on getting there "as a people". It sounds very Jewish to me -- whereas the theme of individual salvation is big in Christianity, the Jewish emphasis is on national salvation, or, as in the Exodus, 'getting there' as a people. It's the community that extends into the future. Individuals may or may not, depending on one's theological bent. I like the parallel between this Jewish idea of the nation and the Christian concept of The Body of Christ. For progressive Christians, I think Obama's unity theme is best expressed and supported through the frame of the Body of Christ.
Bill
An election day for the pages of history
When, in my last days upon this earth, if I am of sound mind, I will remember this day perhaps more than any other. Here it is 1 AM Wednesday morning. I have just witnessed a truly remarkable concession speech by Sen. John McCain, one in which he began to heal the wounds this raucous election stirred, and later when a somber, humble 47 year old African-American man stood and said, again, "Yes We Can" and excepted that challenge of being our 44th president, our first African-American president.
This day will be fixed in my mind most indelibly by having shared Nov. 4th, 2008 with nine other Americans, strangers to me before yesterday, as we manned a local precinct voting station. 6 women and 3 men; white and black, Republican and Democrat, worked together seemlessly, with joy and passion to serve the needs of the 1,770 registered voters in the precinct. In addition, we had 2 observers (a woman from each party), a lady CNN reporter and most remarkably a 17 year old young lady in her first year in college, here observing the election process as a project for her psychology class. We all arrived at 5:45 AM and left, together at 10:15 PM, 16 1/2 hours straight with no real breaks, with the 2 women Chief Judges working even longer.
I'm tired now, but still bouyed by the joy of the day, overwhelmed by the sense of its history, and frankly feeling a bit like John McCain, that the torch has been passed from my generation to 3 younger generations. My generation fought long and hard to achieve, and pass on the advantages the younger ones enjoy. I am both happy seeing our success and a bit sad that our, my, energies now wane, that, as President-elect Obama said, we may not be there when this nation reaches the promised land. Like President-elect Obama's grandmother, we may view that day froma different plane of existence.
To the younger hands I pray for your continued success and now feel like my generation can look back with a deep sense of accomplishment, as we see the seeds we planted, entrusted to us by our foreparents, flourish into yet another bountiful harvest. I an filled this moment, the early hours of truly a new day, with joy and a bit of sadness. The spirit is willing but the body now wanes a bit, responding to the call, with a step that is just a bit slower.
As I often pray, May the light, love and wisdom of Our Creator continue to guide us, each one, and our newly elected leaders as they face with new resolve and courage, the current global challenges now before us and for those yet to be faced.
A good day to all, in so many ways, on so many planes.
Rich
An tired Elder
And now, it's on us....
As President-elect Obama (can I get an Amen??) intimated; now we all have to step up.
Thankfully I think we just might have a leader and partner in the effort.
Tears speak volumes
Tears on the cheeks of Rev. Jesse Jackson and Oprah Winfrey said it all. I loved his reference to grabbing the arc of history and bending it; a nice allusion to Dr. King. I like that he is already calling on people to stay organized and take responsibility. Now we're listening to the boss singing "come on up for the rising"...nice choice.
The young and the young again
The faces in the crowd showed the joy of the young. Those of us who were young in the 60's wept, our tears were tears of joy the hope long lost was reborn. The dream lives on, the promised land again gleams in the distance, the weary will again strengthen feeble knees, and begin to follow the light to the promised land. Obama's wisdom showed forth, it's not about me, it's about you. The hope and vision calls us to unite, but he didn't step out with his vision saying get on board. If tears came to your eyes, let the coming days replace the tears, with a telling again of your vision, passion and hope. YES WE CAN
We would be the "young again"?
(I usually just call it 37 with lots of experience.)
I feel young again today. I do. I hadn't realized just how much my lack of hope and belief in our political system was hurting until it dropped off me last night and I don't remember starting to cry but the tears, they were streaming down my face, puddling in my lap, and they kept coming until sometime after Obama finished speaking. And the goosebumps for no reason, other than I was so in awe, so overwhelmed with feeling, GOOD feeling, about the results of an election. And tears still spring awfully fast today, I am still overwhelmed, and this time with amazement at the hope, enthusiasm, belief and excitement at this leader we have elected. That didn't get stolen away from us. That we get to keep, I pray so hard, we need to keep this one.
I know I'm repeating myself from like last February or so, but the last candidate I cared for this deeply was Robert Kennedy. We all know how that campaign ended. What I've been discovering the last 18 hours or so (I haven't been to bed yet, can't sleep yet, too ramped up still) is just how much I lost and didn't know it was gone in '68. I knew we'd lost a leader, one that would have moved this country further down this road to goal of the kingdom of heaven on earth. We lost too many leaders during that time. I think I'm not the only person to lose that extra measure of passion I threw in the primaries of '68. Or the last of my political innocence, for I was still too young to vote. I picked up this nasty habit of cynicism in '74.
I feel so light today. So unburdened in the heart. In between phone calls, setting up neighborhood groups to identify and implement local change, I catch myself not smiling but grinning ear to ear. I don't know how long this feeling will last, I hope it lasts the whole eight years. I do know working with neighborhood volunteers will be frustrating at times, but I'm planning on a whole lot of local victories. When I signed on to the Obama campaign two years ago, I didn't just sign up for the campaign, I signed on for the duration!!
Can you believe it?!!!!
I am proud of my nation...after the long, dark time of the Bush years, could we reach the promised land tha King spoke of 40 years ago.
Virginia goes for Obama!!!!!!!!!
Fox is calling for Obama...in a few minutes Cali, and the rest of the west coast...in a few minutes Obama will be the next President of the United States.
now THAT surprised me!
I really didn't think I'd ever see Virginia go for a Democratic candidate, not again in my lifetime. I do remember years upon years of them voting (southern) Democrat, straight party, but that's a whole 'nuther thang.
Who woulda thunk it?
Virginia shocked me most of all.
Ohio called for Obama
MSNBC has called Ohio for Obama. This is huge. Pennsylvania had been called for Obama earlier.
Angelo we know that big blue state Calfornia is going to come through for Obama.
Even Fox has commentators on talking about an Obama white house! I love it.
I heard that Californians heard more about Prop 8 than they did the Preidential election.
I felt happy to see Obama
I felt happy to see Obama win. But I hid it for the sake of good friends. I was at my friends house and they were Hillary fans. So while they were glad McCain lost, they were sort of melancholy about Obama winning.
When I got home, I watched Obama's speech and McCain concession speech on t.v. and liked them both. Like everyone here, I was struck by the faces of the people in Chicago, the tears and the joy. Seeing Jesse Jackson crying for joy really touched me, especially when I remember that he only a few feet away from Martin Luther King Jr. when he got shot. For people in their 50s and older who remember the segregation and discrimination, to see how far this country has come to elect an African American President must've meant something special.
The only thing that made Lisa and I sad was the polls on Proposition 8. We were expecting it to go down in defeat, so we were surprised. I looked at the news and activists were consoling themselves that at least Obama got elected.
Angelo
Jesse's tears
I wouldn't characterize them as simple tears of joy, Angelo. I think I had the same kind of reaction he did -- and then tonight I heard him confirm it as he explained how he had felt as he stood in that crowd. What brings the tears is the knowledge of how much it cost to get to this point. The arrests, jailings, beatings, killings, bombings, arsons, lynchings, mob actions, assassinations, firings and evictions -- so many people paid so much. Over such a long period of time. And the aftereffects continue. While many have flourished as a result of this interminable process, many others have been wounded and others are still being wounded.
One sound bite on tv was a young African-American man repeating the saying "Rosa sat down so Martin could walk. Martin walked so Barack could run." I find that touching and very apt. I'm glad he didn't recite the last piece of the saying: "Barack is running so our children can fly." That departs from history into hyperbole.
re:Jesse's tears and a thank you
This must've been a great moment for you too, Bill, since you lived through that time and witnessed the arrests, jailings, beatings, lynchings. People my age benefitted from the struggles of your generation for civil rights, and I'm grateful. When I was with my friends on Tuesday, I was telling them that I was too young to have the feelings of the Hillary voters who went through the feminist struggles or the Obama supporters who had participated in the civil rights struggles. My friends are in their 70s and wanted to see the first woman president before they died, and they were a part of that fight in the 1960s and 1970s. So I felt for them.
I took an Asian American history class in college and learned a lot about the discrimination of that group of people, and also how much Asian Americans like me owe the African American civil rights movement and the women's rights movement for blazing the trails for us to follow. I remember your post where you described your experiences in community organizing in the South during the 1960s and the influence of Stokely Carmichael and the Black Panthers. Thank you for the part you played in giving my generation more equal rights.
Angelo
Things seem to be well in California
Jim, things seem to be well in California. The big proposition right here is Prop 8, the gay marriage issue. Both my wife and I are passionately against it. I voted in the morning before work and it was a friendly line. I'm not sure how things are now. While I was waiting in line to vote, someone told me that police are getting ready in Oakland and other inner cities for possible crowd activities. At work there are a lot of people with "I Voted" stickers.
I'm going to a friend's house in a few minutes. I'm excited and nervous too. According to the t.v. Obama's got 77 electoral votes to McCain's 34 votes right now.
Angelo