The Politics of Failure Have Failed. We Need to Make Them Work Again!
8 years ago, William, Neek and Chuck came over, we watched election returns and cooking shows and noshed on bagna cauda, hoping the night would turn out well. It didn't.
4 years ago, we did the same.
Last night we did it again, and for once our little party didn't turn into a wake.
Okay, President-Elect Obama, you got my vote. You've got my support. You've actually, for the first time since I started voting all those years ago, got my enthusiasm behind you. You've got my hopes riding with you.
DON'T FUCKING LET ME DOWN.
Call me a cynic, but the biggest thing I'm worried about is that after all the chest-thumping about change and hope, little will really happen any different, we'll still be stuck with the messes of the last 8/20/30 years, and all those people who were so motivated by the charisma of Obama will all end up disaffected, apathetic and jaded, and the great American experiment will fail with nary a whimper.
I'm also terrified. Charismatic individuals bring out the whackjobs in droves. The last two times we had a really charismatic president, some crazed jackasses took shots at them. Given the virtiol whipped up during the last few months of the campaign, I have a fear that many similar crazed jackasses are feeling a bit emboldened and legitimized right now, in a way that McCain's concession speech and call for unity will do little to reduce.
I hope not. I hope this election validates the promises made over the past two years. I hope it brings the change that it promises. I hope that in 4 years we can all still be proud to call ourselves americans.
Here's to hope, America.
4 years ago, we did the same.
Last night we did it again, and for once our little party didn't turn into a wake.
Okay, President-Elect Obama, you got my vote. You've got my support. You've actually, for the first time since I started voting all those years ago, got my enthusiasm behind you. You've got my hopes riding with you.
DON'T FUCKING LET ME DOWN.
Call me a cynic, but the biggest thing I'm worried about is that after all the chest-thumping about change and hope, little will really happen any different, we'll still be stuck with the messes of the last 8/20/30 years, and all those people who were so motivated by the charisma of Obama will all end up disaffected, apathetic and jaded, and the great American experiment will fail with nary a whimper.
I'm also terrified. Charismatic individuals bring out the whackjobs in droves. The last two times we had a really charismatic president, some crazed jackasses took shots at them. Given the virtiol whipped up during the last few months of the campaign, I have a fear that many similar crazed jackasses are feeling a bit emboldened and legitimized right now, in a way that McCain's concession speech and call for unity will do little to reduce.
I hope not. I hope this election validates the promises made over the past two years. I hope it brings the change that it promises. I hope that in 4 years we can all still be proud to call ourselves americans.
Here's to hope, America.