The Day After
Usually, "Where were you when..." moments are defined by tragic events. "Where were you when you heard about Pearl Harbor?" "Where were you when you heard that JFK was shot?" "Where were you when you heard about 9/11?"
Last night, I suspect we got a new "Where were you when..." moment. "Where were you when the first African-American was elected president?" No matter what you feel about Barack Obama, his election (along with the runs of Hillary Clinton and Sarah Palin) shows that the White House is not out of reach of anybody anymore, no matter the color of their skin, the ethnicity of their parents, or their gender. So, even the people who are bemoaning that we elected a socialist elite who hangs out with terrorists can take pride in the fact that, only 40 years after the assassination of Martin Luther King, the vast majority of American voters were completely colorblind yesterday.
That said, as inspiring as the Obama victory is, it's about to give way to the cold reality of being in charge. He's going to take over the running of a country with a struggling economy and two unpopular Asian wars. I do not envy him and the task he is facing at all. I'm optimistic that he is up to the task (and wouldn't have voted for him if I didn't think he was), but acknowledge the fact that he could fall flat on his face. I don't think he's going to be Jimmy Carter 2, but that possibility remains.
Other than that, last night didn't go too well for the candidates I was supporting. The Texas Supreme Court and Court of Criminal Appeals (i.e. the most death-penalty happy court in America) remains all Republican. John Cornyn easily won re-election. The State Board of Education retained all the incumbents who were running, which means Texas students will still get abstinence-only education and the risk that intelligent design might get as much class time as evolution.
The one out-of-state issue I was overly concerned about, Prop 8, is not looking good. It's still too close to call, but I'm preparing myself for the prospect that voters will slam the door on our rights. The bright spot is that the percentage of people who voted to support gay marriage has surged at least 10% since Prop 22 was passed in 2000. While losing would be devastating, it seems likely that in only a few years, a decisive majority of California owners will be on our side. However, this reminds us that it's still going to be a long, hard road to full marital equality. Whether or not Prop 8 passes or fails, I suspect it's going to be at least another 25 to 30 years before our marriages are recognized nationwide--and even that might be optimistic. Hopefully, we're only 8 to 12 years away from a presidential candidate being able to say that he or she supports full marriage equality without that support being an automatic kiss of death.
I need to get ready and get to work, but first, I have to breath a sigh of relief that the long national nightmare of the 2008 campaign is finally over. And then, I have to find the obligatory story about potential GOP nominees for 2012.
Last night, I suspect we got a new "Where were you when..." moment. "Where were you when the first African-American was elected president?" No matter what you feel about Barack Obama, his election (along with the runs of Hillary Clinton and Sarah Palin) shows that the White House is not out of reach of anybody anymore, no matter the color of their skin, the ethnicity of their parents, or their gender. So, even the people who are bemoaning that we elected a socialist elite who hangs out with terrorists can take pride in the fact that, only 40 years after the assassination of Martin Luther King, the vast majority of American voters were completely colorblind yesterday.
That said, as inspiring as the Obama victory is, it's about to give way to the cold reality of being in charge. He's going to take over the running of a country with a struggling economy and two unpopular Asian wars. I do not envy him and the task he is facing at all. I'm optimistic that he is up to the task (and wouldn't have voted for him if I didn't think he was), but acknowledge the fact that he could fall flat on his face. I don't think he's going to be Jimmy Carter 2, but that possibility remains.
Other than that, last night didn't go too well for the candidates I was supporting. The Texas Supreme Court and Court of Criminal Appeals (i.e. the most death-penalty happy court in America) remains all Republican. John Cornyn easily won re-election. The State Board of Education retained all the incumbents who were running, which means Texas students will still get abstinence-only education and the risk that intelligent design might get as much class time as evolution.
The one out-of-state issue I was overly concerned about, Prop 8, is not looking good. It's still too close to call, but I'm preparing myself for the prospect that voters will slam the door on our rights. The bright spot is that the percentage of people who voted to support gay marriage has surged at least 10% since Prop 22 was passed in 2000. While losing would be devastating, it seems likely that in only a few years, a decisive majority of California owners will be on our side. However, this reminds us that it's still going to be a long, hard road to full marital equality. Whether or not Prop 8 passes or fails, I suspect it's going to be at least another 25 to 30 years before our marriages are recognized nationwide--and even that might be optimistic. Hopefully, we're only 8 to 12 years away from a presidential candidate being able to say that he or she supports full marriage equality without that support being an automatic kiss of death.
I need to get ready and get to work, but first, I have to breath a sigh of relief that the long national nightmare of the 2008 campaign is finally over. And then, I have to find the obligatory story about potential GOP nominees for 2012.