First Principles

Well, this isn’t officially over, but as I sit here typing, it more or less is.  (Update: Oh, it’s official.  And this blog entry is officially as long as it’s going to be.)

Congrats to the Democrats and to President-Elect Obama.

Some random thought about this new era:

1. Democracy wins.

Two years ago, after boldly and very wrongly predicting that the GOP would retain control of both houses of Congress, I wrote this:

You’ll never see me wear black on the day after an American election, or sit around and mope. To do so is un-American, and I use that word as strongly as I know how. Every election we have in accordance with our two-centuries-old founding document represents a transfer of power without violence, with extraordinarily minimal cheating, and with grace befitting a great nation. Candidates will call their lawyers, not their militias, and the decisions of judges will be obeyed willingly. I won’t ever accuse people of “voting against their economic interests” – people know what they’re voting for. No matter how much we dislike candidates or outcomes, it is shameful to react with anything but joy over that fact. Shameful.

So there it is. I’m glad it’s over, and now we move forward. On this night I’m proud to be an American. God bless America, and may our children tell us we did the right things at this most dangerous time in our history.

I echo this again today.  I’m a bit more concerned than last time with the potential fraud, and I think that, unlike last time, the people had much less information with which to make an informed decision.  That is a disgrace.

But it’s not possible to say this election was “stolen”.  The people chose.  They voted.  The information was out there if they really wanted it.  They wanted to try something totally new.  And in some ways, it’s hard to blame them for that.

2.  “There’s good news and bad news.  The good news is that you won.  The bad news is that you won.”

I thought the worst part of an Obama victory will be the insufferable smugness of his worshipers.  But now, picturing it, I can’t help but to chuckle.

I see them as dogs who, after years of chasing cars, have finally caught one.  Now what are they going to do?

The Obama folks are going to learn the hard way that governing is far different than campaigning.  They are going to learn that what sound like great solutions in a college dorm room over a bowl of weed don’t translate well into the real world.

The hangover will be deep and abiding.

3.  McCain’s concession.

I’ve never seen a speech like this.  Devoid of all bitterness.  Praising Obama fully, sincerely, and offering his support as an American.  Accepting the blame.  Would Obama have been so gracious?  I don’t know.  I think he would have tried, and would have failed.

He soon had the crowd clapping and even cheering for the new President-Elect.  For their nation and its leader.  Country first.

Now he’s clearly passing the torch to Sarah Palin.

This is a man of honor and greatness.  I am proud to have supported him with so much of my time.  I don’t regret a second of it.

4.  Obama’s speech.

I just tuned in to the middle of an endless string of identity politics bromide.  Gah.

His praise of McCain is good, though.  Gracious.  As it should be.

There is nothing noteworthy about this speech, though.  It’s flat.  It’s predictable.  It’s like an Oscar speech without the music to cut it off.  Now it’s dragging on and on and on with nothing but trite cliches and slogans that don’t actually mean a God damned thing.

It’s not up to the moment.

And this is not a time for the President to not be up to the moment.  Not a good omen.

5.  We elected our first black President.

Good.

I despise identity politics.  I hate it.  I hate what it represents – that skin color, gender, or who you choose to cuddle up with at night means more than the individual person, their ideas, their virtues, and their shortfalls.  I hate the focus on it in our politics.  I honor McCain for ignoring it.  I resent Obama for bringing it up against Republicans, and for going to a church that profited from fanning its flames.

That being said, though, it’s an undeniably important moment in history.  We do have a history of racial strife in this nation, only a short, short time ago.  But those barriers have been disintegrating.

Many thousands still believed this past doomed them, I think long after that sentiment had much basis in reality.  It became a too convenient excuse for failure and apathy.

This is done.  The excuses are over.  No one can say a black man can’t make it in America any more.  And that’s a good thing.  An historic thing.  An important thing.  I wish a better man broke this barrier, but we have who we have.

Now can we be done with it and start judging our new President on the content of his character, the efficacy of his policies, and not the color of his skin?

6.  I’m not moving to Canada.

I love America.  This is my country.  It is the greatest nation on earth.  It remains exceptional, and I intend on doing my part to keep it that way.

Barack Obama is my President.  I will pray for his success, even while I argue against him.

7.  God, I’m glad it’s over.

I’m sick of it.  I’m sick of the ads, the arguments, and the uncertainty.  I’m sick of the division and the lies and the fraud.  I’m sick of the “plans” and the promises and the pandering and the platitudes.  I want to judge action and deeds, not words.

I’m glad it was over quickly.  I’m thankful there are no lawsuits.  It was decided before the polls closed on the west coast.  There was time to accept and absorb.  I can get a good night’s sleep (which I’ll need to deal with the smug tomorrow at work).

This was an important election, and now we must brace for the potential consequences, which I fear may be dire.  But for now, I’m glad for the rest.

8.  I still like George W. Bush.  But I won’t miss him.

More on Bush some other time.  But for tonight, it’s undeniable to say that the turned page on the Bush/Clinton/Bush era of politics is refreshing indeed.

9.  A Pro-American Press?

The press morphing so fully into a Barack Obama propaganda machine did this nation no favors.  They robbed the American people of the information they needed to make an informed decision.  Without serious press scrutiny, the new President will be inagurated never having been tempered by a serious challenge.  Iran will be decidedly less forgiving than even Fox News.

But if Obama feels it necessary to take this nation into war, maybe they’ll be rooting for him to succeed in that, too.  Maybe they’ll think twice about publishing classified info on the front page of the New York Times.

Unfortunately, I think the press will remain pro-Obama, to the exclusion of being pro-America where those two things conflict.  Everyone loses when that happens – and (hint to said press) that includes the President.

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That’s all I have for tonight.  I’m tired.  Tomorrow is a new day.

As always, I look forward to it.