Yesterday

One of the things that amazed me most about the election yesterday was how little we heard about Barack Obama being black. In some circles I'm sure that was the main subject, but not from where I sat. For me, I was impressed how this was about new vs. old, change vs. status quo, anybody vs. President Bush.

Just for grits and shiggles I went to Fox News this morning, and saw two of the comment areas: Why Did John McCain Lose? and Why Did Barack Obama Win?

I went into both, and unfortunately read some incredibly ignorant, frightened, and racist comments. Hopefully Fox has either taken them down, or handed them over to the Secret Service.

A friend on Facebook wrote she was wondering where we go from here. My answer was, I dunno, but a lot of people would have to work VERY hard to do more damage to the country and the world than has been done in the past eight years.

I'm not much of a figurative Kool-Aid drinker (literally, however, I love the stuff), so my expectations for President Obama are realistic. Part of me wants him to use the executive signing statement as much as President Bush has, except to use it within the law and for good purposes. But really, instead of tit for tat, I think America needs a steady hand, an articulate voice, and a less petulant personality in our leader.

As usual, Comedy Central's Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert provided brilliant insight and analysis, while CNN premiered their holographic analyst. That's a head-shaker, that one.

Winter is approaching quickly, the wood pile needs a little more attention, and there are many rocks left to skip before the snow covers them. Now is not the time to just sit back and coast. The bloviators are catching their breath and regrouping, and the Republicans are still stunned. Gotta keep working, people.

Tomorrow

Tomorrow is Election Day in the U.S.

I can't comprehend how the presidential candidates sustain their schedules. Recently I was in San Jose for five intense days of meetings, and I was exhausted for two days when I got home. The pace, the demands, the energy required to do what they've done is remarkable.

In 2000, I voted for Nader. Governor Bush's primary campaign against Senator McCain -- really, a foretaste of his presidency -- was nasty, deceitful, and brutally effective. I didn't believe Al Gore best represented my interests, and I thought George Bush was a political aberration.

Senator McCain employs many who got George Bush elected in the anti-Clinton wave, but McCain's caught in a torrent of anti-Bush sentiment. He's been grabbed by a thresher, with blades named Bush, Cheney, Rice, Wolfowitz, Bremer, Perle, Rumsfeld, Rove, Miers, Gonzales, Feith, Ridge, Brown, Chertoff, Ashcroft... (and that's without using The Google!). Even Governor Palin, undoubtedly picked for her uncanny resemblance to President Bush in mentality, philosophy, experience and vocabulary, hasn't seemed to help the McCain campaign much.

Should Barack Obama win, he will not (cannot) save the nation. The debt, the wars, the economy, the culutre of corruption, the propaganda, the unitary executive, the mistrust, the bold and bald admitted lies; these are why George Bush's approval ratings are in the low 20's, and no one can easily or quickly confront (much less overcome) obstacles that large.

But tomorrow morning I'll gladly, proudly vote at the Swan River Elementary School (Go Warriors!). I hope you all do the same, whomever your candidates are.

Oh. Except, don't all show up at Swan River Elementary (Go Warriors!). That wouldn't work.