n a t b s

Growing up in the happy-go-lucky nineties, I learned a lot about the ideals of America, and I believed in those ideals; I was too naive not to.  Getting older and learning about our dubious history, and witnessing our present in the time of Bush, was a painful realization that we hardly live up to those ideals; that that stuff I used to believe as a kid was a myth not unlike Santa clause and the tooth fairy.  George Bush has been the president my entire adult life.  And now, the way I feel about the election of Barack Obama, is kind of like finding out Santa clause is real.  His rise and victory, more than his politics, means something.  It reminds us that America isn’t all talk.  We can put our money where our mouth is and do the right thing.  We can do something unprecedented and once again lead the way.  Yes America is an amazing country, this proves that once again.  And that’s why I felt so good last night, and why I feel so good now, and why so many people in the world do too.  I’ve never seen such joy and jubilation over a presidential election, people were literally dancing in the streets all over the world.  And yes, he’s black, and this country was founded on slavery, and 40 years ago they didn’t have equal rights, and yes that is amazing and wonderful.  It hit me right after they announced it, even though I knew it was going to happen, I didn’t feel it until it was official.  About, 11:02 I’d say, I started to cry.  It was a beautiful night.  Maybe one of the happiest the world has ever known.  We have the hope of a new beginning.

Also, for the first time in my lifetime I can say these words without sarcasm: America, fuck yeah!

What is it about Sara Palin that scares the shit out of me, and frankly, let’s admit it, all democrats?  It’s plainly obvious that everyone is scared shitless by this woman, so let’s just end the denials and the false confidence.  First we have to admit it, then we can try to figure out why we’re scared so we can beat her.

The problem is, I don’t really know why.  It’s a feeling, there’s something about her and how she’s being received that makes me feel like we could be in trouble.  She’s like a new product, and she makes the old one appear obsolete.  It’s like when when a newer model iPod comes out, suddenly that old one just not as good.  She’s got the sheen of newness about her. People love new products, and Obama’s been around for 9 months already.  Bo-ring.  Hope?  …Did you hear Bristol is pregnant? For better or worse, well…for worse, she just dominates the mind.  She’s just a huge, good-looking, distraction.  And the primary person she’s distracting us from is John McCain.  That guy still running? His daughter is hot.  What, that’s his running mate?

Maybe because the Democrats are all dorks, and she seems like that stupid popular girl at your high school.  Or those 8 stupid popular girls.  And the scary part is people vote for that girl.

I’m not really sure how you beat the hot new product, the popular girl.  I’m not sure Obama knows how to do that either.  Is 57 days enough for people to get sick of her?  Something else needs to happen.  McCain needs to explode with anger on television, or maybe the debates will change things if there’s some moment that resonates.  I don’t know, and I don’t think the Obama campaign planned for this contingency.  Who could have expected them to?  Can they figure her out in time?  Can we?  There’s not much time left.  But first we have to admit we’re scared.

No, not the new M. Night Shamalon movie, Hillary admitting defeat!  There are good odds it’s gonna happen tonight.  Under the headline “Clinton not Ready Concede Race” (stay with me) CNN tells us that Terry McAuliffe said today:

Obama “doesn’t have the numbers today, and until someone has the numbers the race goes on,” McAuliffe told CNN.

So presumably that means, she will quit if he gets the numbers.  Well Obama has gotten about 10 supers in the past few hours, and currently he’s 31.5 away from “the numbers.”  He’s probably gonna win 15-20 tonight so Terry better hope Obama doesn’t get 10 more supers today because if he does she’s done!  Anyway, despite this weird statement all signs point to Clinton dropping out:  she’s having a big rally in New York, and we all know what an important general election state that is, yesterday bill said “this may be my last day working on a campaign like this,” oh and also, according to AP, Obama has  already won:

WASHINGTON — Barack Obama effectively clinched the Democratic presidential nomination Tuesday after a grueling marathon, based on an Associated Press tally of convention delegates, becoming the first black candidate ever to lead his party into a fall campaign for the White House.

Booyah

Today in Kentucky, HillRod said something that I found quite interesting:

“I’m going to make my case and I’m going to make it until I’m the nominee and we’re not going to have one today and we’re not going to have one tomorrow and we’re not going to have one the next day,” she said. “And if Kentucky turns out tomorrow, I will be closer to that nomination.” [nyt]

You’re going to make your case until you’re the nominee?  I guess we’ll be hearing her make her case for a long, looong time.  But wait, that sentence doesn’t even make much sense.  May I suggest that the scripted line she was supposed to read probably said something like:

“I’m going to make my case and I’m going to make it until there is a nominee and we’re not going to have one today and we’re not going to have one tomorrow and we’re not going to have one the next day,”

Now there’s a sentence that makes sense.  In the first sentence the “we’re not going to have one” part just doesn’t match up with “until I’m the nominee.”  Clearly she was supposed to say “until there is a nominee” but she is in such a deep state of denial that she actually still thinks she’s going to win.  If she really still thinks she’s going to win, we might be in a lot of trouble.  God help us, I hope her psychosis doesn’t wind up hurting the country…more so.