Wow! What an amazing night.
When NBC News abruptly announced that Barack Obama had become the 44th President of the United States, I was watching with my girlfriend. We were yelling with joy. I yelled “VIRGINIA IS BLUE!!! I CAN’T BELIEVE IT! VIRGINIA!! IS! BLUUUUE!!!!!!”
Outside the hospital room door, we could hear the staff shouting in happiness and surprise (one of the very Christian nurse’s aides voted and fasted and prayed to Jesus for this win).
It was an incredible moment of spontaneous elation like I’ve never experienced. Me and my soulmate sharing the excitement of sudden new hope our lives and the lives of all Americans could actually improve was one of the happiest times of my life. I’ll never forget it.
And wow, the tally is amazing…
349 electoral vote OBAMA LANDSLIDE! (and climbing)
This wasn’t remotely close. This is an electoral blowout.
Obama became the first Democrat to win Virginia in 44 years. A black man won the Virginia of Loving v. Virginia infamy. Even my grandfather in Virginia Beach voted Obama.
also
RECORD-SHATTERING YOUTH TURNOUT!!
And, our first post-boomer, post-culture war president.
UNPRECEDENTED CLEAN SWEEP of the midwest.
Obama won Ohio and Indiana …he won Florida and handily flipped (over 60%) several Bush counties in Central FL.
Obama won North Carolina, Virginia, the heart of the Confederacy.
This is a HISTORIC NATIONAL REALIGNMENT.
I’m so lucky and happy I witnessed this moment.
I’m so glad we finally have a president who isn’t openly resented by minorities and the poor (e.g. me).
I’m so glad we have a city-oriented president (this is our first president basing himself directly from a big city since Kennedy in 1960). More and more people live in cities, and our public policy should shift accordingly (more light-rail funding pls, kthx).
And most of all, I’m so glad we finally have a president who is free of the unAmerican can’t do attitude that has metastasized over the past eight years.
Improve health care? Sorry. Can’t do.
Modernize our crumbling infrastructure? Sorry. Can’t do.
Fund research breakthroughs? Sorry. Can’t do.
Finish a war in a shorter time than WWII? Sorry. Can’t do.
Encourage alternative energy sources? Can’t do (unless it’s inefficient corn ethanol, cynically subsidized to placate Iowa caucus interests).
Build an effective levee system? Sorry. Can’t do.
We’re the people who put a man on the moon; we can do anything. Surely we can nation-build in our own country.
Now it can be:
Make health care suck less – YES WE CAN.
End a costly Iraq occupation – YES WE CAN.
Overhaul our infrastructure – YES WE CAN.
Produce green technology and invest in alternative energy – YES WE CAN.
Create lots of good jobs rebuilding infrastructure and making green technology – YES WE CAN.
Shore up some levees – YES WE CAN.
“Anything is possible” – Barack Obama
In 77 days, the Obama Administration begins, and the hard work of making possibilities into realities begins anew.
It won’t be easy to say the least. It will take a LOT of work to get anything good out of this corrupt Congress. But for the first time in my adult life I have hope some good changes can be accomplished.
Let’s get started.
Nick