Political stuff, you have been warned.
So, I have a few comments on this Obama thing. Nothing really positive or negative, just some observations and my own 2 cents worth in a world full of 2 centses that would probably add up to a few million dollars if they were, in fact, actual coins and not just opinions.
Aaaanyway, before that metaphor runs away with me further...
I did, in fact, vote for Obama, but only because he was the democratic runner and I thought Sarah Palin was a bit of a dough head and McCain seemed kind of absent-minded. I would swear on a Bible if I had one handy that I truly didn't even notice the color of his skin after the first two weeks of the presidential running; I had one thought and one thought only on the "historical" aspects of this past election, and that was waaaaaaaaaaaaaaay back when Hillary Clinton was still gunning for the office. That thought was; "Chances are, whichever way the election turned out, the United States will be electing it's first female president or it's first African American president. The U.S. has come a long way." That was it. No further discussion, no pushing my opinion. It was a thought that lasted only a few seconds, and after commenting on it once or twice to a few friends, I happily crawled back into tarzanic's Pillow Fort and avoided politics if at all possible for the next Oh God Way Too Many months until the election.
Then Obama got elected and my friends list was like AN EXPLOSION OF GLEE and crying and celebrating and singing and all the while, I'm sitting there going "Dude, seriously, what the heck is the big deal? We get a new president every 4 to 8 years; this is different how?" and I actually had to read someone's cap-locked exclamation of "THE UNITED STATES HAS ELECTED HER FIRST AFRICAN-AMERICAN PRESIDENT!" before I finally got it. Hey, I never said I was quick.
And yeah, it is a momentous occasion, but the truth is, Barack Obama is just another president to me, no more and no less special than the last 43. And then I see glimpses of CNN and linked stories on my friends list about The Good Of Obama and millions of people standing in front of the Washington Monument, cheering and watching with baited breath as the 44th president is inaugurated like he is some sort of King for the Good Of Mankind... and I really can't help but feel bad for the poor guy. Over the last few months, most of the US has put the man on a pedestal that seems so high above that of the average man, built on all these expectations and hopes for a brighter new world, turning him into a modern-day Superman - *before* he's even taken office and had a chance to change anything except Presidential Elect history. I can't help but wonder if he can ever possibly hope to live up to the expectations the American People are demanding of him, and if he's as terrified of the idea as I would be if I was put in the same position. He is only human, he is not perfect, and he most certainly *can* do wrong, but I kind of feel like I'm one of the only ones who thinks that.
I hope he will succeed and help put the country back on her feet - we do need a change, and he has the best chance to pull it off. If not, however... I can't help but wonder how far back such a failure would set us.
Or maybe I just think too much. I guess that's the curse of seeing both sides of any subject.
Aaaanyway, before that metaphor runs away with me further...
I did, in fact, vote for Obama, but only because he was the democratic runner and I thought Sarah Palin was a bit of a dough head and McCain seemed kind of absent-minded. I would swear on a Bible if I had one handy that I truly didn't even notice the color of his skin after the first two weeks of the presidential running; I had one thought and one thought only on the "historical" aspects of this past election, and that was waaaaaaaaaaaaaaay back when Hillary Clinton was still gunning for the office. That thought was; "Chances are, whichever way the election turned out, the United States will be electing it's first female president or it's first African American president. The U.S. has come a long way." That was it. No further discussion, no pushing my opinion. It was a thought that lasted only a few seconds, and after commenting on it once or twice to a few friends, I happily crawled back into tarzanic's Pillow Fort and avoided politics if at all possible for the next Oh God Way Too Many months until the election.
Then Obama got elected and my friends list was like AN EXPLOSION OF GLEE and crying and celebrating and singing and all the while, I'm sitting there going "Dude, seriously, what the heck is the big deal? We get a new president every 4 to 8 years; this is different how?" and I actually had to read someone's cap-locked exclamation of "THE UNITED STATES HAS ELECTED HER FIRST AFRICAN-AMERICAN PRESIDENT!" before I finally got it. Hey, I never said I was quick.
And yeah, it is a momentous occasion, but the truth is, Barack Obama is just another president to me, no more and no less special than the last 43. And then I see glimpses of CNN and linked stories on my friends list about The Good Of Obama and millions of people standing in front of the Washington Monument, cheering and watching with baited breath as the 44th president is inaugurated like he is some sort of King for the Good Of Mankind... and I really can't help but feel bad for the poor guy. Over the last few months, most of the US has put the man on a pedestal that seems so high above that of the average man, built on all these expectations and hopes for a brighter new world, turning him into a modern-day Superman - *before* he's even taken office and had a chance to change anything except Presidential Elect history. I can't help but wonder if he can ever possibly hope to live up to the expectations the American People are demanding of him, and if he's as terrified of the idea as I would be if I was put in the same position. He is only human, he is not perfect, and he most certainly *can* do wrong, but I kind of feel like I'm one of the only ones who thinks that.
I hope he will succeed and help put the country back on her feet - we do need a change, and he has the best chance to pull it off. If not, however... I can't help but wonder how far back such a failure would set us.
Or maybe I just think too much. I guess that's the curse of seeing both sides of any subject.