Welcome President Elect Barack Obama - Let's give him our best these 4 years

redchief wrote: God bless our president elect. May he lead with wisdom and honor.

Kentuckychick replied:
Amen!

I give McCain a lot of credit in his closing comments and conceding speech though, it was thoughtful and touching and I especially loved the parts where he hushed the boo's of the crowd. It was nice to see that side of him.

redchief replied: Unfortunately presidential (in fact nearly all) elections have become mudslinging tournaments, and that's our fault as voters. We allow such garbage to sink into our brains and move our emotions. If we would demand all of our candidates take the high road, perhaps we wouldn't need be so surprised at gracious losers. John McCain did indeed speak with dignity in his loss, and I sincerely hope that Barack Obama is the president this country needs.

I must add, however, that I'm glad there is no filibuster proof majority. I think that would be disastrous to Obama's presidency... I'll explain that if anyone wants me to, but I want to keep this thread upbeat and positive.

ZandersMama replied: if all of mccains speeches during this campain were as good as his last speech, he may have won.

congrats obama, and congrats american friends

MoonMama replied:

gr33n3y3z replied: yes I agree Ed

AlexsPajamaMama replied:

msoulz replied:
I agree completely. He has a monumental task ahead of him.

As for John McCain, he would have been a fine president. It was just a bad year, and especially a bad couple of months, to be a republican IMHO.

Ed, I understand what a filibuster is but I don't understand the mechanics of how the numbers add up - are they limited by time? Or is there a law? I am interested to understand that so if you could PM me I'd appreciate it!

MommyToAshley replied:
I was going to say something similar. I hope we can unite as a country and support our President Elect.

Kaitlin'smom replied: I to hope he is what we need, and while I am leary of his inexperience maybe thats what we need, someone who is not so expierenced to bring a fresh look into things and not so brain washed by all the politics of the goverment. Lets hope the next 4 years while hard will be positive

PrairieMom replied:

My2Beauties replied:

redchief replied:
I'm putting this here because everyone should know what a filibuster is and how the Senate can use it to balance power even when there's a wide majority in one party or another. It takes five days to invoke cloture, or a super majority calling a halt to a filibuster, so you can see how difficult stopping a filibuster can be. Most often compromise is reached on a Senate bill that is even threatened to be filibustered by the minority senators.

Here's the best description I've found on filibustering, and it's better than I could explain: http://www.thisnation.com/question/037.html

A&A'smommy replied: lets just say I hope he does better than I thought he would!

lisar replied: I am just gona stay out of this conversation. **Nuff said**

Calimama replied:
Such a good attitude.

jcc64 replied: I've been in tears on and off since the election was called last night. Yes, I am an ardent Obama fan, as you all know. But my emotions are coming not from the "win", but by the possibilities suggested by it. Now ANY child in this country and beyond can have a dream and believe it's possible to reach if he works hard enough and sticks to his moral compass. I just finished reading "To Kill a Mockingbird" for the hundredth time for a college class and the timing couldn't be more perfect. Less than fifty years ago, Obama would have been in the back of the bus, drinking out of a different water fountain, and denied most of the opportunities we take for granted. Less than a hundred years ago, he could have been strung up from a tree for looking at a white woman the wrong way, or for simply not knowing "his place."
Now look at us. Look how far we've come from those dark days of injustice and inequality. It's a great day to be an American, not because of Obama, but because we have proved to the world that we are indeed who we present ourselves to be. We can do what no other country has done. I have never been prouder, and I have never been more hopeful.

Calimama replied:
That made MY eyes water reading that. Very true.

Danalana replied: I agree with the fact that, in the area of racism, this is a great time.
As you know, I supported McCain, so I'm still not feeling too good about any of it.
But yeah, I'm glad we have come far enough to elect an African-American as president.

MommyToAshley replied:
I only share partly in your enthusiasm about the outcome, but it has nothing to do with which party the President Elect represents or the next President himself. It is a great day in history that our country has selected an African American President. We've come a long way and it is a day to be proud of. I have heard and read some very personal stories today of what this means to so many -- stories that have made me cry. Stories how mothers now feel their child can accomplish anything and there are no limitations... it's what we all want for our children. But, what saddens me is how we got here. I don't think that anyone can say that race didn't matter in this election. I will be proud of our Country when the day comes that we could announce Barrack Obama as the President of the United States (without the African American title). I will be proud of the day when a person votes for or against Barrak Obama because of what his views are and not the color of his skin. I will be proud the day when there aren't reports of white supremest plotting terrorist attacks or black panthers intimidating voters in Pittsburgh. I will be proud of the day when the media doesn't feel the need to report how many African Americans voted in this election, or how many white educated or uneducated voted, but instead report how many citizens voted. I consider this just a baby step towards that day. We have to crawl before we can walk, right? It's a day to celebrate, a day our history will remember, and I hope a day that will lead to the day when race truly doesn't matter.

boyohboyohboy replied:
I agree with this statement...
I do feel that although he was not my first choice canidate, his ideas right now might bennefit my family financially but what scares me more then ever is what is going to happen with the war now, and also what might happen with our foreign affairs..
but as with any other subject, we just take what comes and hope and pray for the best...

I will be praying for him daily.

Kentuckychick replied:
I have found myself in tears several times since last night too... mostly because those of us at work who voted for Obama have been harassed nonstop by several of the McCain voters since yesterday (today included). We contacted corporate today about the entire thing because seriously... it was getting old. I'm sorry to say, but I'm truly appauled at how some individuals have handled the results of this election. I guess I knew that it was to come... but seriously, I didn't think it'd be this bad.

There are some truly cruel and disgusting humans in this world. I wish that those individuals who voted for McCain and lost would follow the example of those individuals who are being respectful, suck it up and give Obama a chance.

I certainly didn't act like this when George W. Bush was elected the second time around.

jcc64 replied:

True that, Dee Dee. Well said.

my2monkeyboys replied: I agree that we should proud that race didn't make us NOT vote for someone, but I also hope it wasn't the deciding factor for a lot of people to vote for him, either. Racism either way.
I do not agree with hardly anything along the same lines as Obama, but I hope the country will give him a chance to be the centrist he says he is, and not the far-left liberal that most of his record shows him to be.
I know I will be praying for our government daily, just as always.

HuskerMom replied:
Yeah my thoughts too.

redchief replied:
Some day perhaps that will be so, and that, indeed, will show America as the great place it purports itself to be. In the meantime, I still say, "Let us all get behind our president elect." For we are still the greatest nation on earth (to you peeps from other countries, I can't help being a patriot, so please forgive me) and I believe we still have great things to accomplish.

Jeanne, you know I didn't vote for Barack, but you also know that I'm an American first, and I applaud all of the hard work that went into getting our next president elected. It was a daunting task, well accomplished.

For those of you who disliked seeing African-Americans making such a show of this election, please look into your hearts and forgive them if they seemed over-zealous or out of line in any way. They have been waiting a long time for the moment to say that they are no longer subservient, and even though most of us feel the injustices done them were not ever retributive in whole, and that could never be accomplished, we must forgive their outward expressions of hope. Is it not true that we agree with Dee Dee and say that we'll be happy when the color of one's skin has no bearing at all on his or her value as a candidate?

Overall, I applaud the behavior of the citizens of this country on hearing the results of this election. It could have been much different, on more than one political front.

jcc64 replied:

Or simply their worth as a human being. It's certainly not limited to us here in the US--it's human nature. It's one of those places where I feel we as a nation have managed to transcend one of the uglier manifestations of humanity, which is why I've been so proud about the election.
I read a book over the summer called "What is the What?" by Dave Eggers. It is a true account of the Lost Boys of Sudan, and the atrocities perpetrated against the kids in this book, all of whom were children, will absolutely blow your mind. And this was black on black violence in Africa.

MommyToAshley replied: I have been thinking about Obama winning the election... watching the coverage, listening to the personal and very moving stories of what this means to so many minorities.

As some of you know, I was torn... I didn't agree with either candidate 100%. There are some political views that Obama has that I don't agree with at all, and McCain has some policies that I don't agree with either. I tried to base my vote on what would be best for this country in terms of policy and not take into account race. I was basing my vote on what I thought was best for this country even over what would benefit me more personally. With that being said, maybe what this country needed most is a President that can give hope to all people above all else. A President with a greater purpose than to promote his own political views. I still don't think that race should be a deciding factor in who you vote for. However, I do think that this particular President at this particular time in our history may be what our country needs to bring us together as a nation. I know I sound contradictory... on one hand I say that you shouldn't vote based on race, yet on the other hand I say that this may be the best choice for our nation because of what it means in terms of equality for all people. But, maybe, just maybe, the hope and inspiration that comes from electing Barrack Obama is more important than any particular political agenda at this particular time.

Sorry, I know I was rambling, I was just sort of thinking out loud. Don't get me wrong though, that doesn't mean I won't be the first to speak out and write my senator in opposition of his tax plan.

jcc64 replied: I don't think you were rambling Dee Dee, I think your thoughts were lovely, and ita.