I have to admit, I'm not feeling the afterglow of Barack Obama's election. I wish I did - it seems like quite the party! But because I'm not, some people apparently believe I'm a sore loser. Or a fearmonger. Or that I don't want to give a new administration a fair chance. But please hear me out, because I'm a bit tired of people insisting that I should be over-the-moon happy today.
I'll first say that I'm truly thrilled for Barack Obama and his supporters. The significance of his election is not lost on me for a second. To think that 40-odd years ago he couldn't have used the same bathroom as my husband, and now he waits in the wings to lead our country? It's a long-overdue achievement and it makes me genuinely happy in that regard. Combine that with the hope he has obviously instilled in millions of people across our country, and you've got something that's hard to ignore.
And yet, I'm sad overall today. Not because Obama was elected, but because John McCain was not. After he was railroaded by Bush during the 2000 primaries, I was thrilled to see him finally get his chance to give moderates a voice in government (a great remedy for the far-left and far-right leanings I see these days). I had great hope for the 2008 election because of him.
I truly feel that McCain did embody change, and the right kind of change. We've seen the passion Obama's supporters have for what Obama stands for; well, I and others feel the same passion for what McCain stands for. I am very sad that he didn't get elected, to the point where I actually cried - not got misty-eyed, but cried - during his concession speech. To me, the wrong direction has been taken and we have missed a golden opportunity because there is no way McCain can run again.
And while I want to be happy for exciting possibilities (and there definitely are positives about this, don't get me wrong), I just don't trust Obama yet. I have not seen examples of him working across aisles or a moderate point of view, like he says in his speeches. In fact, during the campaign I saw several instances where he said one thing to the American people... then turned around and did/said exactly the opposite a short time later. Public campaign financing, the Ayers relationship (which itself was no big deal - but he wasn't forthcoming at first), even his decision to run for presdient, all of these are positions he quickly switched.
I'm happy for Obama's supporters, and as our president he will most definitely get my respect. But I'll admit that I'm nervous because I haven't seen any indication that Obama is a man who can keep his word. For our country's sake I'd love a healthy serving of crow in a few years, and will gladly pick the feathers from my teeth. But his actions compared to his words haven't lent themselves to that. Not yet, anyway.
So while I can appreciate the potential for peace and prosperity that lies ahead, please don't tell me to party along with you right now. I don't see the rainbows and unicorns that you do. It's just kind of... well, grey right now. Here's hoping that changes.
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2 comments:
I was a big fan of McCain in 2000. I became a big non-fan of him during this election season, because of the way he ran his campaign. (Though I suspect that a lot of things he did in the campaign came more from people telling him he needed to do certain things in order to win, and him reluctantly going along.) And don't even get me started on Sarah Palin; a maverick and a dumbass can look a lot alike if you're not paying attention too closely.
I did feel that if he got elected, McCain would revert back to his old self, and could have been a pretty decent President. The recent financial crisis sealed it, but ultimately (and ironically), George Bush beat McCain once again...
I agree completely, John. Thanks for the comment!
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