Comments on: Election Night 2008

By: Andrew

Andrew — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 04:41:25 +0000

Well, if a progressive income tax is Marxist than yes I do. And you know what Paul? If Obama’s policies are Marxist, than Marxist ideas are mainstream cuz we just had this little poll, you might have heard of it they call it the election. And well, seems like most Americans like the idea of universal healthcare. And that’s just helping people, so I don’t really care what you call it.

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By: Paul

Paul — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 02:14:04 +0000

So, you believe in Marxist policies….

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By: Andrew

Andrew — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 22:16:57 +0000

Well you might be right that people voted on emotion. Of course that’s not really unusual. Like, voting for Bush cuz he’s a guy you’d want to have a beer with? How is that in any way a qualification to be president? Nope, people in America generally vote for the guy they like rather than looking at policies. But anyway, on a personal level I do agree with Obama’s policies, if I didn’t I would not have voted for him no matter how symbolic electing him was, so, I can sleep at night.

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By: Paul

Paul — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 22:07:47 +0000

Well, honestly, that is the scary thing about this election is that it wasn’t about Obama’s politics. Yet…it is his policies/politics that will guide our country for the next 4 years. Shouldn’t that be what people voted for? It is my opinion that his administration will take this country in the wrong direction (I hope I am wrong). People voted on emotion…be it hatred for GWB….or fascination with a man who can wax eloquent. At a time of great turmoil at home and abroad, these seem to be the wrong things upon which to base a vote.

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By: Andrew

Andrew — Sun, 09 Nov 2008 15:24:13 +0000

All this post is about is the symbolism, historical significance, and accompanying joy of his election. I’m not talking about how he will govern or deliver (or not deliver) on his rhetoric. If you think this is about how this man will govern it’s not, it’s simply me trying to understand my emotional reaction to this election. Key excerpt from my post “His rise and victory, more than his politics, means something.” I know he wont be perfect and solve all our problems, again, that’s not what I’m saying here.

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By: Paul

Paul — Sat, 08 Nov 2008 07:09:42 +0000

Having been through similar cycles in my life (I grew up in the 70s), I can appreciate and relate to what you are feeling. I saw the end of the Vietnam war (civil unrest), the Nixon years (watergate), the Carter years (Iran hostages and terrible economy), the Reagan years (Iran-Contra), Bush 41 and the Gulf War, Clinton (Lewinsky), and Bush 43. Don’t set yourself up for disappointment. You need to be realistic and seperate rhetoric from reality. Santa Claus and the tooth fairy are indeed myths, and so is much of what was sold to us in the campaigns. President elect Obama will be hard pressed to deliver on his rhetoric. There is nothing in his thin record that shows that he is a uniter or that he has the capacity to bring the change that he touted. It sounded good, but in reality it would kill the economy and snuff out any chance of an economic recovery. Obama preaches class warfare. That is not how you unite a country. As much as you hope for a new beginning, you will all too soon realize that you were sold a bill of goods by a very well run campaign with the aid of an overly sympathetic press left him largely unvetted over 20 months (compare that to how they treated Governor Palin in just 2 short months). As a hard-working American who cares about his country, I am proud that we broke through the color barrier but am concerned about what the future holds under Obama. I am not saying he can’t rise up and be a great President, but I am not going to set unrealistic expectations. I would suggest that you temper your new found glee with a bit of realism and caution in a complex and dangerous world.

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