Wednesday, November 05, 2008
Can we fix it America?
UPDATE: please leave a brief comment telling me what you felt when Obama took to the the stage to accept victory - and pass this link on to your friends to do the same!
YES THEY CAN!!! There was a touch of the Bob the Builders about Barack Obama's victory speech today and lord knows, he's going to need all the help he can get with the grizzled shell of a country he's been handed the reigns to lead.
I'll never forget the fact that I heard the speech while sitting in my car in the rain eating hot chips and gravy... hell, an event like this screamed out for comfort food.
Now that Dubbya's been told not to let the door hit him on the arse on the way out and John McCain can lay off the Red Bull, might we see another era of sanity prevail in the US?
I got the fear today when I heard an interview with Sarah Palin as she exited a polling booth and refused to say who she voted for... 'That's the neat thing about this country'.
Just have a good look at this video of the Hockey Mom and ask yourself just how safe the world would have been with this halfwit in charge?
But Barack Obama, can he fix it?
Barack Obama, oh yes, it appears he can.
Was it just me, or did this election result have a far more profound impact than anything that has happened in world politics in the past 50 years? How many of you shed a tear? How many kissed and hugged your partners and kids? Fired off text messages or twittered through the whole process?
Where were you when Obama strode on stage to accept victory and what was your reaction?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
8 comments:
I don't think he can fix it.
I think we ALL can fix it...with him leading us.
He's inherited a disaster. We're totally falling apart here.
My husband and I were joking about it last night. We're all so excited and happy. We're so full of hope. But wait until February or March. We'll start hearing how Obama has let us down--that he's betrayed us and he's not the person we thought we voted for.
Some people are going to be expecting immediate miracles and that's not going to happen. But I think Obama addressed that issue quite eloquently in his speech.
I love that guy. In the end, I don't think he'll let me down.
On the plus side though. He's following after George W. Bush. I think it would be impossible to do worse than him.
Hey Dina, it's fantastic to see the US back in good hands, despite the terrible state it's been left in. Your comment on how you can 'ALL' fix it shows just how powerful Barak has been in galvanising the community and creating a sense of, 'yep, we can do this!' It's a rare moment in history.
I'd be very interested in hearing the thoughts of your friends from different parts of the US - if you could send them a link asking them to post a comment letting us know how they feel, I'd very much appreciate it.
I have a friend in radio who is keen to do something on this on Saturday morning (Perth time), so the more feedback, the better.
Thanks again for your feedback and know that us Aussies share your joy!
People get ready, there's a train a comin', you don't need no ticket, you just jump on board...
One small step for mankind.
In D.C and yes, it was like we'd won the lottery... what a night! I guess now it's up to all of us to make it work.
I sadly don't know many Americans. Most of the people I talk to are Australian. And most of the Americans I know are actually Republican. Ah, maybe that's why I talk to Australians more ; )
My husband is American and a bit supporter of Obama. I'll send this to him and see if he'll comment. I'll also send it to the few people I know that are democrats. I'm not sure they'll respond though.
Okay. I sent out an email.
We'll see if anyone will respond.
Hi! Dina sent this to me and I'm more than glad to comment on American politics (Dina knows this better than anyone).
First, I agree with Dina. No one person will be able to fix the economic crisis, bring an end to two simultaneous wars and restore the global good will America has lost in the last seven years. This will take a proverbial "village" - and, in this case, that village is made up of all of us.
As for the question; "...did this election result have a far more profound impact...", I'd say absolutely! But my reasons for this is not just because America has, for the first time, transcended race and elected a bi-racial person into the office of President, or the fact the Democrats were able to prevail in spite of the Republican party waging a "traditional" (read: negative) campaign, or even the fact that McCain and Palin supporters reminded everyone that racism and bigotry is still very much alive yet, Obama was still elected.
No, I feel the reason this election holds special meaning is the fact that Americans finally took back their country. If Palin likes to talk about the "real America" then it finally raised it's head. It is an America that is accepting of differences (race, religion, ethnicity, etc.) and is intolerant of deceitful and negative campaign strategies. It is an America where when more than 20% of the population votes, the true will of the people is heard and is acknowledged. And, it is an America that is tired of being lied to and manipulated by fear and hatred.
I have a new found faith in the country that I love. Where it was once the norm to stand hours in line for a Wii game system or tickets to High School Musical 20 (or insert some Star Wars movie), people finally understood it is just as important to have the same conviction when it comes time to elect a leader.
But now it's time to roll up our sleeves and get ready to do some heavy lifting because when you're this far down, it's going to take a lot of work to bring it back up.
-Tim
Dina - thanks for helping me stir the pot on this one! I'd love to hear what those Texan Republicans think also, now that the deal is done.
Tim, I love that message of "taking back your country"! Thanks for your insights into how Amercicans are feeling at this time - we felt something similar (on a smaller scale) when Kevin Rudd took office over here.
Scott from DC did his interview this morning and it was interesting to hear his thoughts on how the US is no longer interested in a "cowboy" as President, as cute as that might have been in the past.
Tim, Dina, keep pushing those emails out across the US and let's see what further comment might arise!
I've sent a link to a few US radio stations, but I wonder just what they might make of this stranger from down under :-)
Lean to the left, lean to the right, lean to the left, fight! Fight! Fight!
Cookster
Post a Comment