It’s now official as President Barack Obama has been sworn in and gave his inauguration speech so America and the world is celebrating for real. I am feeling so many emotions right now…happiness, pride, relief, and angry. Yes, angry toward the now former administration which lasted to long as it appears they will get away with their crimes against America but enough on that since this is a positive post on our future.
As I watch the TV just can’t get over the record millions of people who went to Washington to see this historic inauguration and all with tears of joy. President Obama already has done a lot just in giving the American people hope again. Someone on CNN pointed out that Mr. Obama promised to uphold the Constitution and it originally decreed that black people counted only as 3/5 of a person. Any doubt we have come a long way?
It will be so nice to have a President who knows how to speak the English language correctly and will not promote ideology based on fear over solutions. I like to wish President Obama much success in the coming years for our sake.
Mr. Obama will not be able to celebrate much himself since he will need to start working immediately on the many problems facing our nation. He realizes that the majority of the American people are behind him but he will have no illusions will have the traditional 100 day honeymoon for new Presidents. It’s certainly not the end of the road but the beginning it…
I do want to know if my readers are celebrating Obama’s inauguration today so please vote in my poll located in the upper left hand corner. Those that are celebrating please comment on this post and tell me how you are going about that today. Anyone who is/was in DC live for the inauguration I would like to hear about your experiences. I myself will just be hanging at home today watching TV and being on the Internet all day so while maybe boring for some I will never forget this day.
The latest edition of the Artvoice, the local Buffalo alternative newspaper had a interesting article by Michael I. Niman which I like to share and think is worth reading. The scenario outlined in the piece may be considered somewhat conspiratorial but you be the judge…
The scariest costume worn to my door this past Halloween was a tiny Sarah Palin outfit. This was a week after the real Palin went on record in an NBC interview arguing that those who would bomb healthcare facilities that provided abortions weren’t necessarily “terrorists.” No tykes ever showed up at our doors pining for Hershey bars dressed as “pro-life” doctor killer James Kopp. That would be in bad taste, even on Halloween. But Palin? Sure. Why not? Most folks were just not aware that the woman soon to be considered for the position of stand-in for the oldest incoming president in history had just went on record legitimizing the bullet or the bomb as a legit alternative to the democratic process. Or maybe she was just too much of a moron to know what she was saying. Either way, the real specter of a McCain/Palin administration made this the scariest Halloween of my life. As a nation, we were about to possibly fall, or get pushed, into an abyss.
A few days later, on Election Day, I finished teaching class, like I always do on Tuesdays, by bidding my students farewell and telling them I’d see them on Thursday. But as the words rolled off my tongue, I hesitated. I didn’t really know if indeed I would see them on Thursday, or if the nation would be locked down under martial law by then. It was a crap shoot. Would Election Day bring a sigh of relief or a curfew?
The article really caught my eye because when I seen the news video of all the people who gathered for Obama in Chicago and celebrated in the streets around the country wondered what would have happened if the election was close and they said Obama lost? There would have been riots in the streets and I would have been part of them. I do think the Bush Administration would have liked that since would have given him the excuse to label protesters as terrorists.
I was a little worried just before the election with all the media talk of the race tighten and even one poll showing McCain up sightly. Sounded almost like a setup since I knew six months ago the election would not be close. Obama was breaking records over money raised, attracting new voters, and active volunteers over a Presidential opponent (not to mention the Bush albatross hanging over McCain) so never understood why people were saying it would be close. Good thing you can only fix close elections and nothing happened but what was supposed to on Election Day.
After careful consideration of voting patterns, exit polls, current projections and states won – collected from a variety of sources, the publishing staff at Ideas and Revolution is declaring Barack Obama the next President of the United States. Congratulations President-Elect Obama!
The inauguration cannot happen fast enough…
Editor’s Note – Matthew wanted to call it before the mainstream media and who am I to say no? Looks like Obama will be a big winner and I now can relax. This historic election is only a start and not the end…
It’s Election Day finally and hope all my readers have or will vote today. Please take a second and let me know who you picked for President by voting in my poll.
This is also an open thread to comment about your experiences and feelings on this Election Day.
Are you worried your candidate will not win or not at all?
Please share if you had any polling place problems today…
Every Congressional race is open for discussion also and do you think the Democrats will get to 60 in the Senate and would it be good or bad?
All readers are invited to join me in my chat room (I will be there all day and into the night) to discuss the election as it unfolds in real time and just need to log into any popular IM client you already use when go to the Ideas and Revolution Meebo room.
So, the Caliente Resort and Spa has asked the Pasco County, Florida supervisor of elections to establish a polling place at the resort. Elections supervisor Brian Corley hasn’t ruled out the request. Right now, Caliente residents vote at a polling place less than two miles away.
One county commissioner had a great idea. Why not have the nudists vote ‘absentee.’But nudists claim voting and their lifestyle share one thing. They want to be free to vote in public like everyone else. Their position is, that people take their civic duty seriously and nudism is a part of their lifestyle.
All I know is, I don’t want to be near the booth where someone is “pulling the lever” for their favorite candidate. Of course, the Florida Democratic Committee should be all over this issue. After all, if these nudists are not permitted to vote, that’s 300 fewer Obama voters, and we need all we can get in Florida. I say let them vote! Besides, what a great promotion to get out the vote for the Dems. If any of these people are hot young women, male voting during this election could be off the charts!
Election Day is tomorrow so it’s time to vote or shut up! I hope no one thinks there vote will not count or if an Obama supporter think he has it in the bag. We need everyone to go vote and change the direction this country is heading. An Obama administration would only be the first step and not an end.
I took Obama’s advice to take the day off or in my case took advantage of the Library I work at will be closed and the flexible scheduling at my night job to clear the day. I will be camped out in front of the TV and on my laptop waiting for the outcome after voting. Someday, when the people demand election reform maybe Election Day will be a proper federal and state holiday for everyone.
Please check out this voting checklist to help you plan before you vote tomorrow…
What I would add to the checklist is to bring photo ID even if your state does not require it and more so if you are Hispanic or a minority. Really bring it to your polling place if you are in redneck country for God’s sake. Remember, do not wear or display anything that indicates who you are voting for when going to your polling place.
I am big on the idea if you have kids to let them skip school and have them go with you to vote. Kids need to be shown about participating in a democracy and no better way then letting them see you vote which will carry over into their adult life. African-American voters who will be voting for Obama this obviously would even be more important since this will be a historic election for them.
I will bring my cell phone with me which has a built in webcam to record my voting experience and any problems in or around my polling place but I expect none. I may post the video so look out for that tomorrow here on my blog. It appears that New York state does not allow public displaying of marked ballots but we will see about that.
Looks like Obama will be a big winner and I now can relax. This historic election is only a start and not the end…
