I Believe Obama Has Done It

[_Bryan Inks]

Yep. I'd say he's done it. Since I did vote, I can say without hypocrisy and with every right to complain or join the revolution, that Obama is not my President.

Actually, since you did vote, you don't get to say without hypocrisy that he's not your president. You partook of your rights and your team lost.

Now, those of us that didn't vote can actually say without hypocrisy that he's not our President.

Note: I'm not an Obama supporter nor a McCain supporter. If I had voted, I would have written in C'thulu (I don't believe in voting for the lesser of two evils).

[_Some Schmo]

I admit to getting a little choked up while listening to the end of Obama's speech last night, they way he went through the 106 year old woman's life, looking at the progression of various world events through her eyes and interjecting, "Yes we can" throughout. It was one of the most moving things I've ever heard in a political speech.

[_Moniker]

This says to me "A black person voting for a black person just because he is black" or white guilt.

I didn't make my vote because of his skin color. I made my vote on his stances on issues. Would I have voted for Jessee Jackson? Nope. Would I have voted for a fringe nut that was dark skinned? Nope. I would vote for Colin Powell, though, for anything he ran for because of my admiration for him. I wasn't going to vote for the McCain/ Palin ticket just because there was a woman on the ticket. I wanted to make a vote for someone that I felt positive about and that happened to be Obama. My vote did not rest on skin color. It is, however, (and surely you can't deny this) a remarkable moment in the history of our nation.

I believe that Obama was elected because of his message. He appealed across demographics and drew a diverse electorate in while McCain/Palin seemed to appeal more and more to a block of voters.

[_Trevor]

I didn't make my vote because of his skin color. I made my vote on his stances on issues.
****
I believe that Obama was elected because of his message. He appealed across demographics and drew a diverse electorate in while McCain/Palin seemed to appeal more and more to a block of voters.

I'm with you Moniker. The historical milestone in an Obama victory was icing on the cake, and very sweet icing, but I would not have cast a vote for him based on race.

I found myself agreeing with the most practical independents and sagacious conservatives who saw a real failure in John McCain's conduct of his own campaign. His campaign was incoherent, to put it mildly. His VP pick, while excellent for short-term political considerations, was a failure to consider the needs of the country in terms of substantive governance in the event of his quite possible demise.

Obama, on the other hand, exhibited the kind of leadership skills and even temperament I want in a president. I am not without a measure of serious concern for the future, but I feel much more hopeful today than I have for some time.

And, I'll say it again, McCain gave a helluva stand-up concession speech. I am glad we still have him in the Senate for the time being, but I think he would have been a disappointing president.

[_Thama]

And, I'll say it again, McCain gave a helluva stand-up concession speech.

Seriously, where was that McCain this whole time? Had he behaved like the honorable, independent Senator that most of his record indicates, rather than spending his time pandering to the Rush retards and playing on racial and cultural fears, I'd have seriously considered voting for him.

[_Trevor]

Seriously, where was that McCain this whole time? Had he behaved like the honorable, independent Senator that most of his record indicates, rather than spending his time pandering to the Rush retards and playing on racial and cultural fears, I'd have seriously considered voting for him.

McCain faced an almost insurmountable task. His party did not want him at first. He was basically put out there because everyone got cold feet on Romney, who was just about as unpopular but also Mormon. It took the Palin pick to get the base excited. Bush is incredibly unpopular. The economy went down the crapper. When you take all of this into consideration, it is amazing he did as well as he did.

It just may be, however, that John McCain, better than anyone else, proved how lack of executive experience and perhaps executive aptitude can be fatal to a presidential nominee. John McCain is good as a maverick senator, because in that role he has more flexibility to win on tactics as opposed to forging an overall strategy. It is clear to me that the McCain campaign was jumping from one focus to the next so quickly that the campaign ended up completely scatter-shot.

In any case, add an incoherent campaign to a real uphill slog provided by awful circumstances, and you have to hand it to McCain for winning so many votes. That guy is a real fighter.

[_asbestosman]

I probably would have voted Democrat even if was Kerry running again. McCain may not be Bush, but Bush did too much dammage to America's reputation in my opinion, and that spread to an international dislike of republicans.

Obama's race was a huge consideration on my decision. While I prefer to be colorblind, I also think that an African-American president is a necessary step in improving race relations. To me that wasn't some simple icing on the cake but rather an important issue. However, if Obama were running as the republican candidate, I may have voted against him this year.

I hope that not only Americans will realize how great our country is to elect a minority president, but that they world will look at themselves. In fact, it is my understanding that America is one of the few places (if not the only place) where a minority could be elected to the top spot. I don't want to hear Europe or other places lecture us about racism anymore. We still have further to go, but I think we are world leaders in that respect.

[_bcspace]

I admit to getting a little choked up while listening to the end of Obama's speech last night, they way he went through the 106 year old woman's life, looking at the progression of various world events through her eyes and interjecting, "Yes we can" throughout. It was one of the most moving things I've ever heard in a political speech.

It was the same moving speech that all victorious politicians give. I don't believe a word of it.

[_Moniker]

Trevor, I agree with you about McCain's campaign. He had a lot going against him, yet, he did put up a hell of a fight.

McCain hasn't been wildly popular with Republicans mainly because he was a maverick and then he made that a mantra, pretty much. Then he jumped about trying to get a message and at the end of the day he couldn't focus on something that settled in with the populace. I think the choice of Palin secured the base of the religious right, yet, fortunately (in my eyes) they are not the only conservatives that vote. You add the disenchantment with Bush, the disenchantment with the Republican party with some conservatives (small government??), the war, the economy and that all added up to insurmountable odds.

[_bcspace]

You add the disenchantment with Bush, the disenchantment with the Republican party with some conservatives (small government??), the war, the economy and that all added up to insurmountable odds.

The cause of that is threefold....

1. Bush really is quite liberal.
2. The GOP didn't fight back the whole 8 years while the Democrats put out a steady drumbeat of misinformation and wild goose chase scandals.
3. The msn aided and abetted in #2 above.