The Final US Election Thread

[Gregoshi]

Well I must say after watching McCain do his speech ....where was that man during the election and who was the muppet campaigning in his identity ?

Yes. The campaign was not worthy of the man. However, I don't think the reaction to a McCain win would have been quite is positive as that of Obama.

Obama is about to speak...

[JAG]

Lets see what he has to say - I reckon it will be a good 'un.

[KukriKhan]

Moderators will be doing the "shut up" job here. Thanks.

[Koga No Goshi]

How long before Bin Laden Slaps us?

Did you vote for the guy or not?

[CountArach]

The speech was alright - it picked up a bit towards the end.

[JAG]

Yep, was a good 'un.

[Lemur]

Okay, this is really petty, but the theological/grammatical side of me is really pleased when a politician uses the correct formulation: "May God continue to bless the United States of America," as opposed to "God bless America." You're not pretending to know God's will, you're just saying that you hope God will look favorably on your nation.

A minor quibble, but it drives me nuts when politicos get it wrong.

-edit-

Just to make it crystal clear: the inclusion of the word "may" is what sets the correct version apart from the idiot version.

[Martok]

WOOT!!!



That is all.

[Lemur]

A final pre-bed thought: I know the odds were always low that the Dems would achieve the magic 60 in the Senate, but still I'm glad they didn't get it. That would have been too much temptation for any party. Which is not to say that they may not already have too much temptation, what with holding both houses of Congress and the Executive. But I have some degree of faith that President-elect Obama will whip his unruly party into line and get them doing something productive.

Forcing the Dems to move their party headquarters to Chicago was a masterstroke.

[ICantSpellDawg]

A final pre-bed thought: I know the odds were always low that the Dems would achieve the magic 60 in the Senate, but still I'm glad they didn't get it. That would have been too much temptation for any party. Which is not to say that they may not already have too much temptation, what with holding both houses of Congress and the Executive. But I have some degree of faith that President-elect Obama will whip his unruly party into line and get them doing something productive.

Forcing the Dems to move their party headquarters to Chicago was a masterstroke.

Part of me hopes that the Dems screw this country to the wall for this. The reasonable pragmatist in me hopes that the Democrats fix what they can and then get crushed in 4 or 8 years.

Obama is a real talent. I just hope that talent falls flat on abortion and translates beyond words. The success that he has had with his fabricated message of "crossing the isle" might stick since it has worked so well for him. Hopefully hey buys his own narrative.

[Sasaki Kojiro]

Obama speech started out good but I don't see how "yes we can" is a timeless creed.

Obama/biden certainly exceeded expectations. My optimistic prediction in late september was Obama: 329 McCain:209. Passed that already.

[CountArach]

The reasonable pragmatist in me hopes that the Democrats fix what they can and then get crushed in 4 or 8 years.

No party can fix things and not get re-elected. Even in America.

[Sasaki Kojiro]

It'll be interesting. George Bush messed things up and still got reelected. Obama won't have trouble. He runs too good a campaign to be blamed for the economic woes that we will still be experiencing.

[deguerra]

Obama speech started out good but I don't see how "yes we can" is a timeless creed.

Granted, the phrase itself may not be, but the idea behind it surely is.

It is the shaping impulse of America that neither fate nor nature nor the irresistible tides of history, but the work of our own hands, matched to reason and principle, that will determine our destiny.

[Don Corleone]

So I watched President-elect Obama's acceptance speech tonight and I was touched. He was focused, on point, gracious, and truly seemed to be making an effort to reach out tonight. Mrs. Corleone sat me down tonight and suggested perhaps I'd been drinking too much of the Kool-Aid in these past few days. I suspect, as always, she may have been right.

I do predict that taxes will go up for everyone who's household clears 70k or more, but now that the rational side of my brain has been restored to me, I can say that it's not really mine, I owe it to the next generation to leave a functioning economy to them and I do believe my new president will do his best to make that happen. If I lose my house, well, God provides.

I apologize for getting a little too full of piss down the stretch. I will not edit my prior post, as I don't want to pretend I didn't say what I said, but I will say I do not actually expect the worst. I will do my best to see that my new President's promises come true and I will not be partisan, I will work to fulfill America's promise. 2012 will be here soon enough.

[CountArach]

So I watched President-elect Obama's acceptance speech tonight and I was touched. He was focused, on point, gracious, and truly seemed to be making an effort to reach out tonight. Mrs. Corleone sat me down tonight and suggested perhaps I'd been drinking too much of the Kool-Aid in these past few days. I suspect, as always, she may have been right.

I do predict that taxes will go up for everyone who's household clears 70k or more, but now that the rational side of my brain has been restored to me, I can say that it's not really mine, I owe it to the next generation to leave a functioning economy to them and I do believe my new president will do his best to make that happen. If I lose my house, well, God provides.

I apologize for getting a little too full of piss down the stretch. I will not edit my prior post, as I don't want to pretend I didn't say what I said, but I will say I do not actually expect the worst. I will do my best to see that my new President's promises come true and I will not be partisan, I will work to fulfill America's promise. 2012 will be here soon enough.

That was a very gracious and well-put post Don. You have my respect

[JAG]

Gonna be damn interesting the next few weeks / months, to see who is in his administration.

[OverKnight]

So, less than 1500 days to the next Presidential Election!!!!! Who does everyone see as the front runners?

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Just kidding. While I'm glad that Obama won, I'm relieved that we get a break from campaigning for a few years. A part of me envies the much shorter campaign season of Parliamentary systems.

So what's the over under on how many fillibusters we're going to see in the next year?

[Meneldil]

Maybe that's because I've been quite disapointed by politics, but I found the speech rather boring. Nothing but catch-sentences ("We can !", already tired by this one) and the usual lies served by any elected guy. I can't understand why people were looking at him as he was some kind of god.

But he at least had a good point. America shown us a great lesson of 'democracy' by electing an african-american.
European snobish and arrogant intellectual elites might think twice before criticizing the US for all and nothing now.

[Divinus Arma]

Ever heard the term "Magical Negro"?

Hollywood's embracement of the magical negro is what paved the way for Obama. Not the civil rights movement.

Mother Abagail in The Stand
John Coffey in The Green Mile
Bagger Vance in The Legend of Bagger Vance
God (Morgan Freeman) in Evan Almighty
Morpheus in The Matrix
Lamont in American History X
Chubbs in Happy Gilmore

I'm sure there is a lot more.

Anyway. America now has a wise and all-powerful Magical Negro to help lift up the poor lost white man from his current predicament.

I know now that America will be safe and prosperous, a moral leader of the free world once again!

My prediction: Obama will be Prez for 8 years and go on to to lead the UN and oversee its rise to power. Then he will declare himself God before demanding we all tattoo ourselves.

Just kidding about the second part. But I do think he will go on to lead the UN as Secretary General and oversee its growth.

[Incongruous]

Although increadibly tasteless and perhaps borderline racist, I found that increadibly funny.

[Koga No Goshi]

perhaps borderline racist

Perhaps? ;)

[Heinrich VI]

THANK YOU AMERICA!

and off to bed - it's 7:30am here...

[Incongruous]

Perhaps? ;)

Ok, it was racist, but tbh I am not sure whether or not he is being serious

[PanzerJaeger]

I will say that it will be nice to be off the defensive. It's always easier to complain and criticize than to have to try and get things done. I predict the honeymoon won't even last 100 days... Carter anyone?

[JAG]

PJ - if you think Obama is a 'Carter' you have underestimated him.

SO, as Indiana is called for Obama by 1% - damn I said he would win by 2 at the start of all this - I am going to go to bed.

7.15 am up all night, well worth it.

Woot, woot.

to the USA!

[Koga No Goshi]

I will say that it will be nice to be off the defensive. It's always easier to complain and criticize than to have to try and get things done. I predict the honeymoon won't even last 100 days... Carter anyone?

Anyone thought Obama was walking into a honeymoon? In seriousness Panzer, this whole "he thinks he's Messiah and his supporters do too" thing was pure pundit/Fox koolaid. Obama has never said anything would be easy or quick nor do I think Dems in general think "woohoo the country is now our playdough fun factory." This was like inheriting someone's mansion, with the caveat that the yard is full of radioactive waste and you have to clean it up yourself.

PJ - if you think Obama is a 'Carter' you are have underestimated him.

Don't you mean misunderestimated? :)

[LittleGrizzly]

He, even more than the vast majority of his own party, understood that the moment of change was not 2040, when our demographics will have shifted, but now. The white males, whose vote told all in presidential elections from 1792 to 2004 are no longer the key vote. Crafting an entirely new coalition from under 25s, blacks and hispanics -- augmented by our traditional "left" -- Barack Obama is effecting a sea-change in U.S. politics.

This is what i was referring to with my reegan comment, not the margin of victory... which is highly impressive, but a sea change in american politics... and about damn time

McCain's speech was great! so gracious in defeat, i gained alot of respect for him off that speech and his silencing off the boo's, I too am deeply upset that it had to be mccain that was defeated by obama, almost any other member of the gop and really wouldn't give a damn, but mccain despite his campaign is something a bit different...

I really really hope Obama can include him in his goverment, mccain deserves nothing less

Don im glad the kool aid has worn off slightly... Ill admit i cant now this, but do you really think obama will make the middle classes (im thinking around your income) homeless ? even if there where some greater idealogical goal driving him the simple bad politics of such a move, will mean he will not... Redleg's post in the old election thread probably summed the situation up quite well..

A great day for american politics!

Im about to write a very long post on all the reasons this is so great.... the anticipation is killing you already ?

[Crazed Rabbit]

Well, let's hope he's a good president.

And I still hope Rossi is elected. Oh, please give me at least that.

CR
Edit: xkcd brings us inside the homes of CA and Lemur:

[LittleGrizzly]