Yay Obama!
I’ve seen a shitload of negativity on Facebook and Twitter, and figured that there’s no one-liners capable of actually explaining my take on the situation. Actually, to clarify, I’ve seen a shitload of negativity on Sara’s Facebook feed, because I have cooler friends than that. But I digress…
First up, I think McCain actually was a solid candidate. I don’t think the pernicious effects of the religious right had taken hold of him, and I don’t think anyone would question that he would do what he thought best for his country. It was his selection of Sarah “People ride dinosaurs to work; the earth is 6000 years old; I speak in tongues; let’s have spiritual warfare; global warming isn’t happening; pay for your own damn rape kit; I want an amendment banning gay marriage; rape and incest victims should be forced to have their babies” Palin that knocked him out of any sort of contention, in my mind.
McCain was clearly disappointed in his loss, and I really felt for the guy. Had he been elected in 2000, I think our country would be in much better shape. Bush has made myopic decision after myopic decision, leaving us as nothing but a loner, stretched-too-thin bomb-first-ask-questions-later country that despises intellectuals and thinks academics are out to get us. A champion in any competition needs a favorable schedule as much as anything else, and McCain just came at the wrong time.
That said, the amount of negativity on Facebook is appalling. Unless you’re blinded by bigotry (which a few of my friends are, sadly), religion (…), greed, or are laughably credulous, you see that there’s at least *some* good from this. Obama provides us a leader who is articulate, thoughtful, intelligent, and inspiring. Bush wasn’t anything of the sort, and his campaigns centered around “god wants me” and “oh no! terrorists are hiding behind that bush!”
Essentially, we’ve dealt with this anti-intellectualism in America for 8 years, and it’s time to end it. We need to think through our issues, and not selectively “consult” some book that’s 2000 years old for guidance. We need transparency, not secret courts. We need a leader who sees our role in the world as a leader and a beacon, not as a “you’re with us or against us.”
Also, we need to get rid of this condescending “I’m a values voter” crap. What the hell do you think the rest of us vote on? Are we hypnotized to vote a certain way, and we’re voting according to the TV we watch? Fuck anyone who implies we lack values because we vote for a candidate who we think provides a better future for our children and our country.
The things that make our country great have been under fire for 8 years. Open courts, public search warrants, education, freedom from religion, transparent and honest leadership, and open dialogue are just a few of the things that we’ve started to stray from. It’s important that those things are brought back, and the stupid bickering between cable news networks is replaced with thorough explanations of issues.
I think the media takes cues from the government in this way, and Bush’s policy was to attack detractors more than to justify his own positions. This doesn’t do anything for anyone.
Obama signifies a return to a studious president. Neither candidate had an insidious agenda, and arguing otherwise requires overflowing uses of canards (”he’s a muslim and a socialist”) and arguments from ignorance (”I don’t know what he’s going to do as president, therefore he’s going to ruin the country”). Both candidates wanted to do what’s best for the country, and have different approaches.
After 8 years of seeing our country circle the drain, it’s time someone put the stopper in.
Aaron said:
Nov 05, 08 at 7:16 pmLove you terry, could not have said it better myself.
Brian Jones said:
Nov 05, 08 at 7:29 pmYour Palin views are ridiculous. So what if she believes dinosaurs and humans roamed the earth at the same time? Can you prove otherwise? Honestly, I think it’s ridiculous but it’s just another theory like evolution. Nobody can prove either one. So why get stuck on that issue? Actually…. most of your quotes of Sarah Palin are very exaggerated. Palin may be the reason McCain lost but I think it’s more that she comes off as a country girl from no name university who probably doesn’t have the intellect that most people would want in a VP or President. That and a lot of people saw it as a marketing ploy by the McCain campaign to try and show that the GOP also embraces change.
Speaking of global warming…. another tropical storm! I’m actually excited for the next one that hits Houston. I’m sticking it out!
You thoughts on Bush are also a little ridiculous. He didn’t use “God wants me” to campaign. Nor did he use fear of terrorists during his first campaign. Maybe during his 2nd campaign but lets see…. how many attacks did we have after Sept 11th? I’d probably put that on my resume. For 8 years Bush has been bombarded by the media. I don’t see how anyone could still have a positive image after that. Regardless, most people seem to dislike him but most of our countries problems aren’t a result of his policies at all. The wars yes but Afghanistan was needed while Iraq is debatable. Economy? Not his fault. Gas prices? Not his fault. Bush was not a bad president and you don’t give him enough credit. Watch Pelosi’s documentary on him if you haven’t already. He wouldn’t have served 2 terms as president if he wasn’t smart and just like McCain and Obama, he did what he thought was best for the country.
All in all I’m disappointed Obama won but it’s time to move on. Of course…. peoples facebook statuses and even your blog post make it hard. Your hate for the bible and religion isn’t going to unite anybody either. Try reading the Bible(The new testament mostly) before you start bashing it’s usefulness. Even Madonna who is in now way a Christian, teaches it to her kids b/c of the usefulness of the stories in it.
You talk about how Bushes attacks on detractors doesn’t do anything do anything for anyone? What about this blog post? The best thing I think you and other Obama supporters can do is not be an ass about it…. unless you want McCain supporters to resist “change” and make this as difficult as possible.
That being said, I wish Obama well. It sounds like he is going to keep Robert Gates on his staff who I like and he even talked about ending the BCS and starting a playoff. If he can pull that off, I would vote for him in a 2nd term.
terry said:
Nov 05, 08 at 8:20 pmFirst off, the Palin views aren’t ridiculous. Those are all based on things she’s said. It’s not “just another theory like evolution.” The scientific theory of evolution is backed by facts, tested hypothesis, and sound predictions. To compare the two is irresponsible at worst, and uninformed at best.
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I’m not saying that Bush had an insidious, either. I think he was woefully misguided, and as a result our country suffered. The wars, our standing in the world, the assault on education, the misinformation, the terrifyingly filtered scientific research, all happened on his watch. I give credit to presidents for good things, and hold them accountable for bad things. We haven’t been attacked in 7 years, but at what cost? I think the price that Bush was willing to pay to prevent terrorism is too high.
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The Bible helps nobody when it comes to moral cartography. Verses are plucked selectively to back the ethos of the time, and inconvenient ones are rejected. Is homosexuality a sin? Bible says so? What about the adjacent verses, explaining that it’s necessary to stone disobedient children and women who have premarital sex?
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Even the new testament has its problems. The idea of original sin is appalling and a twisted way to work into the heads of children.
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Further, citing Madonna as any sort of moral compass I think weakens any argument, even against the BCS.
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This blog post explains what a terrible 8 years I think the country has gone through, and how I think Obama is going to fix it. I’m not going to be able to unite the country, because I think too many people have an absolutely wrong view of it. But I think Obama comes across sufficiently palatable to I think people of all viewpoints, so he might make significant headway there.
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Obama has an incredibly tough job in front of him. If he succeeds, he’ll be a huge hero held up for generations to come, and if he fails, he’ll be just another Jimmy Carter. I don’t think anyone would root for him to fail.
Janet Marcum said:
Nov 05, 08 at 8:48 pmI don’t think you can really put “there weren’t any terrorist attacks under my watch (after 9/11)” on your resume if you actively pioneered a war that has resulted in more American deaths than 9/11 (not to mention the tens of thousands of those wounded physically and mentally). And let’s not forget the non-Americans who have been killed or injured (estimates range from 600,000 to 1 million+). Sounds to me like there WERE some terrorist attacks under his watch…