18 posts tagged “election 08”

I can tell you that I knew the exact second that the news networks called the election for Obama...  In Berkeley, a spontaneous cheer went out from virtually every house.  It was pretty crazy.  I've never heard anything like it.  I could hear the noise of people cheering from INSIDE my house.  I opened the door, and you could just hear this collective yelling in the air, it was a droning background noise that echoed around.  And then closer in, from the houses on my street, you could make out the laughing and singing.  It was really something amazing.  Almost like New Years Eve, but louder and more sustained.  A little later, some of the people on my block made an impromptu parade.  They were singing and banging pots together and generally making a ruckus. 

Oh man, it has really been a long time since election night felt so good... I can vividly remember '92 when Clinton won, and what a party we had.  This was so much better...

Finally, our long national nightmare can begin to come to an end...  I can only hope that President Obama (man, I love the sound of that!) can end the politics of fear and divisiveness that Bush/Cheney/Rove have foisted upon this country.  I feel like yesterday was a national catharsis on many levels.  We have not only repudiated baseless fear mongering, but have also begun to move on from a whole cultural era - the era of the backlash against the social revolution of the 60's.  With the loss of McCain, we can finally put the Vietnam era cultural battles behind us, and look forward to the world we live in today.  No, rascism isn't gone, not by a long shot - nor is bigotry, fear, and hatred... but I feel like this country has finally woken up from being in the throes of those emotions, and decided that enough was enough.  We are better than that. 

I am really looking forward to having a President that can inspire us.  One that treasures competence.  One that has an intellect, and uses it.  A President that does not instintively opt for the easy, low road.  Our problems are too great.  The solutions too hard.  We, as a nation were at a crossroads, and we chose the correct path. 

The only dark side to yesterday is the knowledge that proposition 8 has likely passed, taking away the right of gays to marry in California.  It is disheartening to see that even in the midst of the optimism, something like this can pass...  It only shows us that we have to work harder.  Obama begins the turning of a page in our history.  Away from the last 30 years of politics... but prop 8 is an indication that the forces of fear and divisive "wege issues" are not not totally defeated.  I feel confident that when this comes up for a vote again, and it will, we'll win this battle too.  Civil rights struggles are long and hard, but last night is evidence that we'll get there.

As you know, this is an election of historical importance.  Not just on the national level, but all down the line.  On the California state level, there is one proposition which could get lost in the shuffle of the economic implosion.  I believe that every person should have the ability to marry the person they love. It is actually a fundamental freedom guaranteed by the California Constitution.  However, this right is being threatened by out-of-state groups that are the proponents of Proposition 8, a divisive measure that aims to take away this basic freedom from same-gender couples. 

So this is crunch time. Some of you may not live in California, but know family and friends who do. So please, make sure you (and they) are registered to vote (last day to register is Monday, Oct. 20th), encourage everyone you know to vote, and make sure that you and yours vote NO on Prop 8.  We need to educate and encourage everyone we know who can vote in the California election to make sure to vote NO or Prop. 8 this year. Its defeat is so important and yet, astonishingly, not at all assured.  In fact, the latest polls do not look good. 

But there is time. Especially when great groups like Equality California campaign are waging media and grassroots campaigns, and are working to get commercials such as this one on television. 

So, please vote and, talk to those who can vote about Prop. 8...

I'll be bloging about some of the other propositions in the future.  But for now... I'm The Dude, and I approve this message.

What is the point of watching this kind of kabuki dance??

The questions will "be culled from a group of 100 to 150 uncommitted likely voters in the audience and another one-third to come via the Internet."...."An audience member will not be allowed to switch questions. Under the deal, the moderator may not ask followups or make comments. The person who asks the question will not be allowed a follow-up either, and his or her microphone will be turned off after the question is read. A camera shot will only be shown of the person asking — not reacting."....McCain and Obama are not supposed to ask each other direct questions.

If nobody can ask a follow-up question, you are going to get more of the non-sequitur responses that Palin came up with last week.  A question on the economy?  How about a response on Iraq!  A question about health care?  How about a response of catch phrases and gibberish!  What a waste...  The only positive is that this kind of a format will limit McCain's ability to do something that changes the current state of the election.  However, we all lose, because we are not going to get any substative discussion of issues.

Now, only at the end, do we understand...

So we have McCain today getting his crowd riled up asking who Barack Obama is and then apparently giving a wink and a nod when one member of the crowd screams out "terrorist."

And later we have Sarah Palin with the same mob racket, getting members of the crowd to yell out "kill him", though it's not clear whether the call for murder was for Bill Ayers or Barack Obama. It didn't seem to matter.

The polls are looking like an Obama blowout in this election.  McCain's strategists have said that they have to "change the dynamic" of the election at this point.  When the chips are down, you really get to take stock of a person's character.

(from TPM)

Did you read the nasty op-ed by William Kristol in today's NY Times?  Why the editors gave that intellectual featherweight valuable space in the paper I'll never know.  You have the news section talking about how the McCain campaign is getting ready to go into the gutter with nasty attacks on Obama.  Then, you have the editorial board write an op-ed decrying the gutter politics of the McCain campaign... and then on the opposite page, you have Kristol jumping into the gutter with both feet - and not even with any subtlety.  It really was a thing of beauty.  He's asking Palin about whether she'll bring up Obama and Wright after she tells him about the supposed connection between Obama and Ayers.  What a reach that is... Of course Kristol doesn't seem to be interested in asking her about her husband belonging to a party that is trying to have Alaska secede from the U.S.  Rich!

I just read this headline:

The McCain camp has just sent word that the senator is suspending his campaign and returning to Washington to deal with the financial crisis.

McCain is also calling for a postponement of Friday night's debate and for Obama to suspend his campaign as well.

No, this is not a joke... but it sure is a stunt.  Kind of like picking a demonstrably unqualified freshman governor to salvage his campaign, calling off much of the republican convention because of a storm, etc., etc.

What a nut!  I wonder if the rest of the country will think he's off his rocker too...

Thanks to Steve and Cynthia for tipping me off to this...

Wow, they kind of nailed my demographic...

Scooters for Obama