What A Feeling!
Wow! Was that the big “O” bama or what! 
Okay sorry ’bout that.
Let me just continue with my thoughts from yesterday and give a few of my thoughts from the last several months. I am sure you are all sick to death of this and hearing from all the pundits. I am by no means a smart pundit but here are my thoughts.
To be more specific, yesterday when I saw the screen and Barack Obama President of the United States I was overcome with emotion. I didn’t want to be that specific yesterday. I was afraid I would jinx something.
I was overcome to think that I had cast a vote that was historical. My elation and joy over this election isn’t so much about the future but what this milestone means. What it means to us as a country. When I saw pictures last night of Jesse Jackson, Martin Luther King’s daughter and many other African Americans in tears, I knew that my excitement couldn’t begin to compare to what they were feeling. I was happy for them, for myself and for America.
This doesn’t mean that race doesn’t matter. I heard from plenty of people who came right out and said it did. I actually heard people say that a black person should not be president. But it does send a signal that those people are becoming a smaller and smaller and insignificant group.
I was excited to see the mantle of leadership for our country pass to a new generation. This is the first time in my life that the POTUS will be younger than me.
I was happy to see the number of young people and people of all walks of life that were motivated by Barack Obama.
Here is how I came to support Obama.
One reason I voted for him was his thoughtfulness. Something we are desperately lacking in so many politicians. That came after hearing and reading his speech regarding the Rev. Jeremiah Wright.
Reading about and following his campaign pulled me in even more.
The guy is so cool under fire. That is what I want from a leader. He showed this when things weren’t going his way. He showed it in his response to the Reverend Wright. He showed it during debates.
Some mocked his lack of leadership and executive experience. Those were my initial concerns. But an important part of leadership is motivating people. I was impressed at how he was able to do that during the campaign. But he didn’t just inspire.
The more I read the more I came to understand that this guy didn’t just motivate with lofty rhetoric. He created an amazing campaign organization. Those skills should transfer into a good governing organization.
Which brings me to money. I have always been rather ambivalent about the impact of money in campaigns. I want people to have the right to donate to their cause. But I am also concerned about how it can be abused. Obama’s combination of organizational skills and fund raising gave us another look at two sides of the money equation. It isn’t just about the amount, it is also how you use it.
The motivational side I have already mentioned. He broke records in fund raising at every level possible. Big donors, small donors, internet donors etc. It is not just the amount of money and number of donors.
He didn’t just buy huge amounts of airtime. How he used it goes back to his organization. This money brought democratic participation beyond just voting to every corner of the nation. With this money he was able to open offices all over and involve more people. That is the good side of the money and good for democracy.
What he did with his money and organization impressed me.
Do I think happy days are here again and everything is right with the world? No. Barack Obama has a very hard row to hoe.
But my hope is that maybe we have made a nudge in a different direction.
I am happy for what this means to so many people. I am happy that I was part of it. I am cautiously optimistic about the future.
And one final note since fashion is so a part of the picture. I didn’t care of Michelle Obama’s dress last night.
November 5th, 2008 at 4:45 pm
well i would not have been classified as an obama supporter…but i was also touched as i saw many blacks crying last night, and it absolutely is a historical event…nice to see any positive progress w/ the race issues in our great nation and throughout the rest of the world…i may not have voted for or supported obama in his campaign, but i will always honor and respect the office of president of the united states…and i sincerely hope that he’s successful in leading our country. it’s funny you mentioned it because i was thinking michelle obama’s dress was a bit off myself.
November 5th, 2008 at 5:00 pm
What a horrid dress! Was she trying to look pregnant?
November 5th, 2008 at 7:53 pm
When I got off work last night I went straight home and turned on CNN. I watched for several hours as various states fell into Obama’s hands. Finally the spokesmen couldn’t come up with a route that would lead to McCain winning. At 9pm, while sitting in my living room, I watched as CNN announced that they could predict with certainty that the next president of the United States of America would be Barack Obama!
Shortly after this announcement, McCain gave a speech that greatly increased my respect for him. I was very emotional as well when Obama came out to speak. I was so caught up in the speech, the emotional people, and the joy that I was feeling. Obama almost came across as a great ecclesiastical preacher with his “yes we can!”
Realizing that this was going to be a moment in history that I would never forget, I tried to take it all in, breathing in my surroundings and emotions. There is something about the majority of society realizing that we truly are all equal that brings tears to those that have seen decades of oppression.
I haven’t seen the racism as intimately as some but I do see the importance of this great election and the steps forward we are taking.
November 6th, 2008 at 12:45 am
What a great night it was last night. The country is moving in the right direction. I believe Obama has brought Americans together as one nation. I also was overwhelmed with emotion. I know they do not compare to emotions of Oprah, Jessie Jackson, and Martin Luther King’s daughter. Martin Luther King, Jr. stated, “I have a dream that my four children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character”. That dream came true November 4, 2008.
November 6th, 2008 at 12:48 am
I’m so excited for Obama.. and I’m so glad the campaigning is OVER!!
November 6th, 2008 at 2:58 am
My humble musical letter to President Obama:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f4bZw9FmXZ4
Love,
Hannah Friedman
November 6th, 2008 at 9:47 am
Yes, my respect for McCain returned after months when I listened to his gracious and dignified concession speech. The McCain that many had liked, before the campaign became so acrimonious, certainly seemed to have returned. I suspect that is the sentiment of many.
Now both have to really put the words regarding bipartisanship into action.
November 6th, 2008 at 2:01 pm
Jeri: What a surprise! I have never seen you here before. Thanks for commenting. I doubt he did in your county. What did he get in Franklin county? Maybe a dozen votes.
Interestingly I just read that Utah for once was not the reddest state in the nation.
November 6th, 2008 at 5:19 pm
I’m not an Obama supporter. Mainly because I disagree with his view of certain policy issues. However, I am interested to see just how well this freshman senator makes the transition to being president and how he implements the promises he has made during the campaign. While people are excited that he’s new and anxious to “change” Washington, he has already started to surround himself with career Washington-philes. Best of luck to him and to our country in these trying times…
November 7th, 2008 at 10:57 am
I think he’s come into office at a very challenging time. I sincerely hope he can make a difference and get the economy back on track. It’s not going to be a simple job.
November 7th, 2008 at 4:38 pm
real quick: I did not like her dress either
November 8th, 2008 at 3:45 pm
Red,
There were 599 people who voted for Obama in Franklin County.