Post-Election Wrap-Up
Sick of election posts? Too bad.
I'm a little disturbed by all of my friends on Facebook and LiveJournal saying that this is the first time in eight years that they feel proud to be an American. Being American is about a hell of a lot more than who the president is. We have a lot to be proud of, every day, no matter who gets elected.
I don't want to make a post full of gloating glee, because I remember pretty vividly what it feels like to lose. I hope that, at the very least, everyone can be excited about the fact that we are witnessing the first black man becoming President. Because that's pretty sweet, guys, even if you didn't vote for him.
McCain had a classy concession speech, and it's a shame that he felt the need to sell out for the entire election. If the actual John McCain had run for President, I think this would have been a different race indeed.
I also think that Obama gave a pretty humble acceptance speech. It's very clear to me that he's reaching out to the people who didn't vote for him ("I hear you, too"). I hope that everyone can accept him with a little more grace than the way Democrats could not accept reality in 2000 or 2004. (I really can't stand buttons like "Not my president." Sorry, but Bush is your president!) ALSO, Obama promised a puppy for the White House. If that doesn't melt your heart the tiniest bit, then there is just no talking to you.
Message I left on my parents' answering machine earlier today:
Hey, it's me....just wondering if you guys voted yet and canceled each other out. Later!
Then my mom called me back and left her own message:
Yes, I voted it! But your father's still at work. So don't call back later! Maybe he'll forget or be too tired, and my vote will count more then!
Later in the evening, I called back anyway.
MOM: *disgusted sigh* He voted.
ME: Well, that'll happen. Is Dad upset?
MOM: I don't know! He's upstairs.
ME: Wait, you're watching the results on separate TVs?
MOM: Yes!
My sister, in a hushed whisper: "Jackie?"
ME: What?
SISTER, laughing: What is the electoral college? [My sister is 37, by the way]
ME: Are you kidding me? Are you trying to argue with Kevin?
SISTER: No. Just....tell me.
ME: Okay. So...each state's popular vote doesn't actually matter...they have representatives who decide where the state's influence will go.
SISTER: I know! I know that!
ME: ....And the amount of votes they get is based on population size.
SISTER: I know that!
ME: Then what is your problem?!
SISTER, still whispering: That....doesn't make any sense.
ME: It's....in the Constitution. I don't know what to tell you.
Even though I live a few blocks away, I could hear a dull roar of cheering from State Street when I got home last night, and that was over an hour after the election had been called.
Also, if you haven't done so yet, you should really read about the parallels between this election and the last two seasons of The West Wing, because the similarities are uncanny, down to the Phillies playing for the World Cup.
I was pretty tired yesterday, and I watched the election results on ABC at Antoine's place, with Creighton and Carolyn, and The Hammer. I like being on my laptop when election results are reported so that I can check more local results. I was also able to type up sections of my NanoWrimo story that I had written out longhand at work. And, of course, I could hang out at my favorite political news place: ontd_political. My favorite comment there from today thus far is this reaction to Obama naming his Chief of Staff: Oh man, this is gonna be THE HOTTEST CABINET EVAR!!! Of course, I also have a lot of love for this post, discussing what kind of dog the families Obama and Biden should get.
I'm a little disturbed by all of my friends on Facebook and LiveJournal saying that this is the first time in eight years that they feel proud to be an American. Being American is about a hell of a lot more than who the president is. We have a lot to be proud of, every day, no matter who gets elected.
I don't want to make a post full of gloating glee, because I remember pretty vividly what it feels like to lose. I hope that, at the very least, everyone can be excited about the fact that we are witnessing the first black man becoming President. Because that's pretty sweet, guys, even if you didn't vote for him.
McCain had a classy concession speech, and it's a shame that he felt the need to sell out for the entire election. If the actual John McCain had run for President, I think this would have been a different race indeed.
I also think that Obama gave a pretty humble acceptance speech. It's very clear to me that he's reaching out to the people who didn't vote for him ("I hear you, too"). I hope that everyone can accept him with a little more grace than the way Democrats could not accept reality in 2000 or 2004. (I really can't stand buttons like "Not my president." Sorry, but Bush is your president!) ALSO, Obama promised a puppy for the White House. If that doesn't melt your heart the tiniest bit, then there is just no talking to you.
Message I left on my parents' answering machine earlier today:
Hey, it's me....just wondering if you guys voted yet and canceled each other out. Later!
Then my mom called me back and left her own message:
Yes, I voted it! But your father's still at work. So don't call back later! Maybe he'll forget or be too tired, and my vote will count more then!
Later in the evening, I called back anyway.
MOM: *disgusted sigh* He voted.
ME: Well, that'll happen. Is Dad upset?
MOM: I don't know! He's upstairs.
ME: Wait, you're watching the results on separate TVs?
MOM: Yes!
My sister, in a hushed whisper: "Jackie?"
ME: What?
SISTER, laughing: What is the electoral college? [My sister is 37, by the way]
ME: Are you kidding me? Are you trying to argue with Kevin?
SISTER: No. Just....tell me.
ME: Okay. So...each state's popular vote doesn't actually matter...they have representatives who decide where the state's influence will go.
SISTER: I know! I know that!
ME: ....And the amount of votes they get is based on population size.
SISTER: I know that!
ME: Then what is your problem?!
SISTER, still whispering: That....doesn't make any sense.
ME: It's....in the Constitution. I don't know what to tell you.
Even though I live a few blocks away, I could hear a dull roar of cheering from State Street when I got home last night, and that was over an hour after the election had been called.
Also, if you haven't done so yet, you should really read about the parallels between this election and the last two seasons of The West Wing, because the similarities are uncanny, down to the Phillies playing for the World Cup.
I was pretty tired yesterday, and I watched the election results on ABC at Antoine's place, with Creighton and Carolyn, and The Hammer. I like being on my laptop when election results are reported so that I can check more local results. I was also able to type up sections of my NanoWrimo story that I had written out longhand at work. And, of course, I could hang out at my favorite political news place: ontd_political. My favorite comment there from today thus far is this reaction to Obama naming his Chief of Staff: Oh man, this is gonna be THE HOTTEST CABINET EVAR!!! Of course, I also have a lot of love for this post, discussing what kind of dog the families Obama and Biden should get.