John McCain is a gracious man. Despite an increasingly negative campaign in the last weeks of the campaigning, he has always been a good person. While he wasn’t able to prove it to enough of the people, McCain has a long career of bipartisan service. His speech last night was typical of what I’ve come to know of the man – gracious and eloquent. I like him as a person and I applaud all he’s done as a senator. In fact, this election was a choice between two good people. I think the choice the country made was the right one, but I would have thrown my support behind McCain had he won. It’s what we need to do as a country – drop the rhetoric, the negative bullshit, and move on together. It’s time to change our ways.
Barack Obama was the best choice in terms of that change. Whether you like it or not (go on, like it!), we’re no longer the same country we were yesterday morning. We’re hopefully a better one for having shown the world (for they were watching) that we don’t want to divide along racial or political lines any longer. No, that thinking is the least effective way of getting things done. We want to choose the best candidate based on his policies and his overall direction.
One thing didn’t sit well with me last night – it was the way the media behaved once Barack had won. This was a huge victory for the African American community and their joy is long overdue. Maybe that’s why the media focus was solely on the African American reaction to the win – because dammit, they’ve been waiting for so long for it. It’s about time they get their moment, don’t you think?
I hesitate to add this, but this win wasn’t simply one for the African Americans, yet the media didn’t show that. The media didn’t show the record number of first-time voters of all races standing in line for hours. They didn’t show the overwhelming number of women who chose Obama. Nor did they show the Hispanic population, who helped bring Obama more electoral votes. They didn’t show the celebration at my daughter’s college or any other college by young voters who bothered to know and care about politics. And you’d be hard-pressed to see a middle-class white couple being asked how they felt about the man they helped elect. I’m not upset for me – I’m worried about how those images will play in those areas of the country who voted for McCain because they couldn’t bring themselves to vote for a man of color.
It’s that concern that really unsettled things for me. These are people who were spoon-fed garbage they’ve come to believe – that a black man was gonna take over “their” country. He would spend their money on welfare, crack babies, and any other stereotypical bullshit that the anti-Obama crowd could sling (to those who either spewed or bought into that trash – grow up. You’re embarrassing the rest of us). The overuse by folks in both the McCain campaign and these groups of Barack’s middle name helped fuel the fear that terrorism was his agenda, not change.
The media did nothing to counter those fears. Maybe they shouldn’t. Maybe I’m hyper-sensitive to how these groups will react to seeing celebrations and connecting it to the racist fear-mongering feeding off stereotypes. Maybe it’s not the job of the media to try to enlighten those who are so far-removed from reality or who really do buy into that crap.
What do you think? Am I alone is my concern? Either way, today’s party time. As Carrie Wilson pointed out a few weeks ago, no matter what the result, November 5th is the day we all deserve a drink.
Care to join me?
On one of the stations, very late at night, a commentator got philosophical. Said this was the third election in a row a Vietnam Vet lost (and remember those campaigns where fighting or not fighting in that war was so important?). “We will likely never have a president who fought in that war now,” he said. He also made a comment about Obama being the first post-Boomer president (which isn’t true; but he is a tailend boomer and our part of the generation gets lost in the crowd) and Obama’s election shows a cultural shift in many ways.
the conservative areas of the country who voted for McCain because they couldn’t bring themselves to vote for a man of color.
Lori, you make this sound like conservatism = racism. While there are indeed people out there who probably voted against Obama because of color, the vast majority of those who did not vote for Obama did so on the issues, not on the color of his skin.
That’s probably true, Sue. What would be more interesting is if we had elected someone who’d fought in that war who’d actually come to understand, via that war, that war, sometimes, is exactly the wrong choice.
I agree–our generation of Boomer is completely ignored. Our memories include Vietnam, but we’re so much more post-Vietnam and recession. We’ve been through our own brand of Hell, but that’s rather lost, isn’t it?
Eileen, you’re right. That’s a broad brush I’ve painted with, and for that I apologize. But it is true that there has been a large conservative push to discredit Obama and promote McCain based on race. The one that really struck me was at a McCain rally in Florida where a cop got up and made heavy emphasis on “Barack HUSSEIN Obama” while McCain stood right beside him, smiling. McCain was clearly running on a conservative ticket, though he’s more moderate in his career than that.
Eileen, I amended my post. Thank you for pointing out my own stereotyping.
Lori, you’re da bomb. 🙂
I wasn’t particularly happy with either of the choices, but I held my nose and cast my vote anyway. That being said, I am thrilled that the racial barrier to the highest executive office in the nation has finally been broken.
Eileen, sadly, I’m already seeing signs of the fear coming out. Certain family members just chastised other family members, judging them on their religious convictions, because they voted Obama. That, in my opinion, is judgmental bullshit. I’m livid. This is an example of the fear and the lies being expounded to the point where people believe the worst – and wrongfully so.
I think this election is one where we actually had two strong, good candidates. There was grace in defeat. Too bad some of the McCain voters (not all) couldn’t carry that same grace. If you’re not part of the solution you’re part of the problem, in my opinion.
Sorry. Off my soapbox now. 🙂
Certain family members just chastised other family members, judging them on their religious convictions, because they voted Obama.
I’ve seen this, too, and it’s inexcusable. I’ve also seen similar attitudes from Obama supporters. My daughter, who is a junior in high school, said someone wore a “NoBama” T-shirt on Monday, and was repeatedly accused throughout the day of being racist. Why can’t people respond to the issues, instead of judging motives?
Exactly. There’s no reason to cry racist because someone chose another candidate. That’s inexcusable.
If these were two white men or two men of color, we wouldn’t be dealing with this crap.
I am loving this discussion! You guys are proving that intelligent people CAN come together, discuss the issues and agree to disagree without villifying another or beating others over the head with their point of view. Beautiful!
Can you feel the love tonight….. hakuna matata…. :))
I think the party system should be dissolved. If we were voting on the merits of each candidate without worrying about which party is behind him/her, we’d pay much more attention to our votes.
I agree. All those good “third party” candidates would have a better shot, too.
Our coverage showed the diversity of the celebration, and celebrated it, which pleased me.
I think either the party system should be dissolved (since I’m an independent and don’t vote on party lines anyway) OR it should be like in Britain, where there are more than two VIABLE party choices.
I’d rather see no parties, though. There’s no reason for parties, other than some people like to be exclusionists.
It should be “rally around the individual you feel best suited for the job”.
Thanks for the link, Lori!
I agree with you on all accounts, BTW.
I raise my glass to/with you! : )