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And.....exhale
Something happened in America last night I honestly didn't think possible.
After eight miserable, frustrating, wretched years of tyranny, lies, hypocrisy, ignorance, greed, corruption, and blatant contempt for those of us in the reality-based community, the American people overwhelmingly said, enough. The dark years are truly over.
Last night my cynicism melted away, and for the first time in an extremely long time I felt proud to be an American. We're looking forwards for a change, not back.
Regardless of how he successful he is as a President, Barack Obama's election is a milestone in American history, and I'm thrilled to have been part of it.
Sorry there's no quiz today -- check back tomorrow. Today is for celebrating.
November 5, 2008 in Current Affairs | Permalink
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I wish I had something meaningful to say here, something that you (and others) haven't already said a million times better and more succintly. But I'm going to say something anyway, and I hope it somehow makes some modicum of sense.
I knew he was going to win, and I knew that the dark times, as you rightly put it, were finally going to be over. At the same time though, as optimistic as I was, I didn't feel it.
I've felt beaten down these last eight years-- overwhelmed by despair. And then, last night happened.
And I'm so filled with joy, so filled with hope. I'm proud to be an American, but more than that, I'm proud to be an American in this time, at this moment. It really feels like this is going to be something special.
I've heard about Kennedy and FDR, about Camelot and the New Deal, about leaders who really inspired. But I thought that I would never see one in my lifetime. And I was wrong and I'm happy to be wrong.
There are good times ahead, and it feels so wonderful to say that and mean it.
Posted by: Tom Russell | Nov 5, 2008 2:21:25 PM
well said, FB
http://holyholysmokes.blogspot.com/2008/11/proud-to-be-american.html
Posted by: mike | Nov 5, 2008 8:10:26 PM
Enjoy your sugar rush, because the crash is going to put you down on the floor. This country is, pardon my language, FUCKED. People have no idea how bad it's going to get. And there is nothing that Obama can do to stop it. I'm happy he was elected too, but in the long run it means very little. Bush and Cheney and Company wrecked this country. Wrecked it. Beyond repair. And if you think that Obama is going to speak and act for the disenfranchised and the minorities then you don't understand a thing about how politics works in this country.
Posted by: Buzzkill | Nov 7, 2008 3:55:57 PM
Oh, and why you all were celebrating and patting yourselves on the back, 38 innocent people, men, women and children, were bombed into oblivion by this wonderful country of ours. Maybe we should be proud when that kind of stuff ceases to happen, not when someone wins a popularity contest. I am ashamed to be an American, and Obama doesn't make me feel any different.
Posted by: Buzzkill | Nov 7, 2008 3:59:34 PM
Buzzkill --
I see your point, and I admit that Obama is walking into a shitty situation, but perhaps we should let him take office before we begin criticizing. Clinton never stood up to the lobbyists and multi-nationals, but maybe things will be different this time.
Posted by: Filmbrain | Nov 7, 2008 5:30:00 PM
They won't be different. You want to know why? Because they never are. But I guess my bitter world view is kind of not in fashion right now, what with all the talk of hope and change and general good vibes that are permeating the air. Obama is not the messiah. He's a politician, a figurehead, the man we chose to represent the US to the rest of the world. I agree, as a PR move, it's brilliant, perhaps even groundbreaking. But that's all it is: a PR move. What happened the other night was the Re-branding of America. In other words: new package, same product. What this country wants more than anything is to have its illusions back. The current administration completely disillusioned this nation, let everyone see behind the curtain too many times, viz. Katrina, which is going to be the real legacy of the last 8 years, in my estimation. What happened in New Orleans was beyond atrocious. It was a crime againt humanity, as are the invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan. If all Obama does is pull the US out of those two nations - completely - then he will have earned his status as a mold-breaking President. But he won't, because war is a racket which benefits the kingmakers, the people who really run this country, people who have no politics, who are neither democrat or republican, liberal or conservative. That is who Obama represents. To think otherwise, that Obama looks out upon this nation of lost souls and considers them his masters, is not only naive, but as illogical and irrational as anything I have heard come out of the mouth of the most rabid and voceiferous Palin-ite. Have a nice weekend.
Posted by: Buzzkill | Nov 7, 2008 7:00:35 PM
I'll be curious to see exactly what Obama does re Iraq, Afghanistan and Iran, particularly with Emanuel as his Chief of Staff.
It's probably safe to say that a hefty percentage of those who voted Obama (myself included) want an end to the war. What will they (we) do if he doesn't? What if he isn't the progressive we want him to be? It's going to be interesting, to say the least.
Posted by: Filmbrain | Nov 7, 2008 8:07:18 PM
It will, FB. It will be very interesting. Thanks for listening and not calling me names. BTW: Benten is awesome. Watched Team Picture the other night. I had no idea how much I was going to love it. It's my favorite film of the year so far. Can't wait for your next release. Any ideas on what it's going to be?
Posted by: Buzzkill | Nov 7, 2008 10:04:32 PM
People didn't vote for Obama to "rebrand" the United States; they voted for him because they believe in him. You're right, Buzzkill, in that he's not the messiah and that he can't solve everything-- but you're dead wrong if you think Bush's damage is beyond repair or that all politicians are worthless shills for the "real" powerbrokers.
Politicians are men (and women). Some are good, some are bad. Some are corrupt, and some are capable of courage. Of standing up for what they believe in. Of doing good.
Hubert Humphrey did it in '48 when he gave his anti-Jim Crow speech, splitting the Democratic party in two and weakening its draw in the South.
Lyndon Johnson did it in the sixties, when he strong-armed Congress into passing Civil Rights legislation, though he knew that it cost them the South for a generation.
In the Great Depression, FDR got people working and implemented a number of progressive policies such as social security and the WPA. We were pretty fucked then, too. And, granted, it did take a war to get us out of it completely. But the New Deal had something to do with it, too.
Things aren't nearly that bad now. And if Obama does implement his promises, things _are_ going to start to get better. It's going to be a slow process, slower because he thinks long-term. And thank goodness he does.
Here's the thing. Politicians can and do pass laws that matter, laws that help and protect its citizens, laws that fix wrongs. Politicians can be a force for good.
Frankly, I do believe that's what partially motivates most people to seek public office. Ego might be a part of it, but only insomuch as it is egotistical to think that you can make a difference. Which, if you think about it, isn't really egotistical at all; it's human.
*****
I ran for mayor of my city a couple of years back. The previous mayor had died from cancer, and so a special election was held. The circumstances of the special election meant that there would be no primary; anyone who could round up the requisite number of signatures got on the ballot. I was one of twelve and, to make a long story short, I didn't place first.
There were a number of reasons why I ran. One thing that lured me, I have to admit, was the money; I make less than $10,000 a year and the mayor makes over $100,000.
Another factor was that, yeah, it would be fun to run for mayor. My campaign fund was called "Happy Smiling Zombies for Tom Russell". I did a video explaining municipal finance issues using the classic arcade game BurgerTime. I made campaign promises like "If elected, I will buy a second suit" and "I will do everything in my power to bring Radiohead back to Michigan". I planned on giving a speech in my bathrobe, but as it was the middle of winter, I ended up nixing the idea.
Unfortunately, once I had secured a place on the ballot, my employer put me on a mandatory six week leave of absence. Without pay, of course. If we were struggling before... well, you get the idea. It stopped being fun real quick. Stopped being so much of a lark.
I was given an option of going back, of promising not to campaign in order to keep my job. There was more to it than that-- there was the distinct possibility, or so it seemed, that I could promise not to campaign and still lose the job for six weeks. But I opted to go the six weeks without. I opted to try.
And that was because of the single most important reason why I was running: I love my hometown. Because I was passionate about it and passionate about my ideas for it. Because I wanted to see it shepherded through the rough times that were ahead. And that reason had been there since the start; despite all my shenanigans, I kept the emphasis on my strong if not particularly revolutionary economic policies.
Like I said, I didn't win. I was an extremely odd and unlikely candidate. While I consider myself fairly gregarious, I'm only really comfortable in very small social gatherings-- maybe two or three people besides my wife and I. I'm prone to severe bouts of stuttering and get nervous often. I also suffer from siezures and it doesn't exactly provide comfort to a potential voter when you start flopping around on their porch. I'm very shy and it's very likely that I have some kind of social anxiety disorder or some such.
But despite that-- despite the fact that I was crippled up with fear every time I met a voter, let alone made a speech-- I still ran for mayor. And again, that's because of my love for my city, its people, and my passion for my ideas to help it was so strong.
The man who won-- beat the lot of us in a landslide!-- was a CEO and City Councilman (city council around here is strictly a part-time job that pays only $12,000 a year). By choosing to run for mayor, he chose to take on a job with twice the hours and far less pay than either gig. He gave up his corporation's company car, his memberships to various clubs, and traded in his health plan for the far less inclusive municipal one. He chose to take on far greater responsibility for far less rewards, and he inherited a city on the verge of crisis.
He didn't run because of a lust for power, or because the super-secret cabal of powerbrokers decided he should lead the city. He ran because he loved the city and its people and, like I, he believed in the strength of his ideas.
And I gotta say, he's done a good job.
****
I know the higher the office, the more likely corruption and ego is going to play into things. But to believe that it's all some shell game, that politicians can't do good or be good, that their individual policies, thoughts, and personalities don't count-- that's not just cynical, Buzzkill.
It's childish.
Posted by: Tom Russell | Nov 8, 2008 1:15:08 AM
Ah, the perils of writing comments when you need sleep. "... a job with twice the hours and far less pay than either gig" is not, of course, correct; what I meant was that the hours were twice that than both jobs combined and the pay less than his job as a CEO.
And I think I might have come across a little too harsh on you, Buzzkill, and I apologize-- especially for that last bit.
Posted by: Tom Russell | Nov 8, 2008 4:15:46 AM
"...they voted for him because they believe in him" - Ah, swell! What a romantic thought! The country has reached dizzying heights by choosing Obama - is that a reason to be proud or a reason to be finally proud? Irony is there are 32 brands of gummy bears to choose from and only 2 candidates for "leader" of this country, said he.
Posted by: ar | Nov 8, 2008 7:07:10 PM
"We need to stop Iran from making nuclear weapons!", said Obama today addressing the nation. Weapons? or Technology? However, we as a country can keep running our nuclear reactors, because we are "responsible enough"!
Its easy enough to twist our minds to sentimental feelings over the sway of the majority.
Posted by: shak | Nov 8, 2008 7:14:45 PM
