I feel like a great weight has been lifted off my soldiers. I feel like it’s the end of a dark era. I feel like chickens have come home to roost on the whole aftermath of the Reagan Revolution. I feel like we at last have rejoined the community of nations. I feel inspired. I am hopeful. I am, in the final analysis, amazed that America has done this!!

I wish I possessed the eloquence to describe the emotions I felt as our country elected Barack Obama yesterday. To say that I am elated, hopeful, encouraged, moved, inspired and a little stunned only begins to capture the mix.

It’s often said that it is the journey, not the destination, which is most important. Our nation is an evolving entity—growing and shifting through movements and generations. Just as it is true of each one of the millions of individuals who comprise it, we as a people take numerous missteps, backward steps, painful wrong headed & wrong hearted directions. For the past few decades and in particular the past eight years, the destructive path we’ve collectively been on was ruled by fear, greed, ignorance, and self-interest. It seemed to feed on and magnify all that is most base within us.

But look at where we have journeyed from. It has been 138 years since the 15th amendment to our constitution was ratified, 88 years since the 19th amendment was ratified, 45 years since Dr. Martin Luther King delivered his “I Have a Dream” speech, 43 years since passing the Voting Rights Act. I did not expect to be alive to witness the election of our first president of African American descent. I only hoped (and still hope) to witness our first female president. We have turned a corner in our national identity and consciousness.

I know that many people are disappointed in the less than stellar performance in important national, state and local races around the country. The problems with a congress too busy protecting their seats and their asses to move our country in any significant way are not going to magically resolve because of the election of one man. One man, however charming, intelligent, thoughtful and resourceful is not going to turn things around with the flash of his brilliant smile. It is in the nature of politics to compromise, bargain, and grease the squeaky wheel. Progressives will frequently feel disappointed in the choices, appointments, and compromises this president makes. It will be our job to stay engaged and vigilant and make our voices heard above the din. But we finally have a leader who will not be an embarrassment on the international stage, who will act out of concern for the welfare of the people of the nation and the world, who will appeal to our better angels rather than our darkest fears and emotions.

I have been accused more than once of being naive, a pollyanna, a hopeless optimist. That is probably all true, but in this world of frequent cruelty and hopeless cynicism, today I choose to embrace my Pollyanna and shout out loud “Yes We Can!”

Congrats to Barack Obama and all his supporters… otherwise;

The greatest irony has to be that from 1900 through 1940, our government was almost entirely Christian white men, but there was far more POLITICAL DIVERSITY in that era than there is today.

From 1900 through 1940, we had Populist Party, Progressive Party, Socialist Party, and others in the Congress, Governors of states, and in most of the state legislatures; everything but the Presidency. Today, we have gender diversity, racial diversity, sexual diversity, but they all mostly have the same political stances as wealthy white men!

Since every “reform” was at first rejected by the major (Democratic and Republican) Parties, only to be championed by the various 3rd Parties, and today our 3rd Parties are emasculated by election laws and the Media, this is probably why our “progress” has been retarded these past 40 years.

Social Security was first introduced in the Congress in 1926, with every single Democrat voting against it. During the Great Depression, as the number of Socialists in the Congress expanded rapidly, the Democratic Party co-opted the position for it’s own self-preservation.

The same argument is true of Child Labor laws, the 40 hour work week, women’s right to vote, even the abolition of slavery, which caused the destruction of one of the two existing major parties of the 1850’s, the Whig Party, and the creation of it’s replacement, the Republican Party, the most successful 3rd Party in American history.

In effect, we need viable 3rd Parties to drive true reform or change!

A strong 3rd party on the left would leverage the Democrats to pass Single-payer Insurance, end Corporate Personhood, and end military aggression around the globe.

A strong 3rd party on the right would force the Republicans to pass Immigration reform, transparency in government, and a return to bi-lateral trade agreements in lieu of so called Free Trade.

My final observation is the almost religious fervor I hear quite often, treating Obama as some sort of messiah, and his political slogans are some form of manna from heaven. I hope I am wrong, but I fear that little will change. An incoming President of the United States that signified true fundamental change would have had the Elite up in arms, fearful of losing their domination over the American people, which isn’t happening, ergo…

Though I would rather have seen the Clintons return to the White House, I am still glad that the Democrats have taken control once again. I must say how proud I am of our countrymen for overcoming so many years of racial prejudice. I am cautiously hopeful that Mr. Obama can turn things around. Even more remarkable to me was to watch people all around the globe celebrating the outcome of this election. It gives me hope for a more peaceful and prosperous future.

It’s nice to see that McCain’s smear tactics failed. That and the failing of the shallowness of his strategy - trying to promote and play on fear. And beyond that, what seemed to be an imitation of what may have been perceived as successful strategies, or popular ideas on the Democrats’ side - I mean, come-on, Palin isn’t Hillary, McCain isn’t “Change” and that Health-Care Plan, WAS something to sneeze at - etc.etc..

The tragedy is how many McCain swayed to believe that Obama is an enemy of some kind - and if McCain had been elected it is not hard to imagine how he would have construed some people or nation to be an enemy of some kind as well. Hopefully we have seen the last, or at least the beginning of the end, of those who profit from creating enemies.

In my opinion, the best thing Obama has going for him is the ability to inspire. Alone, he’ll not be able to do a damn thing - but if he can get the people to understand what they need to do - and then actually get them (this includes myself) to want to do such - KUDOS.

I say this because what I would like to see most is a move to green / a massive move to eco-friendliness. My fantasy would be that such a move would address two other main issues:
— the economy - for the move to green could be asserted in a way that promotes new business, jobs, etc.
— energy independence - this of course also falls somewhat under the issue of the economy.

I mean, wow, wouldn’t it be great if the U.S. became a shiny example of clean power in a way that employed so many that the rest of the world followed in turn. Boy, wouldn’t that be great - INSTEAD of dependence on systems that crap on the future of all life, essentially using the world of tomorrow as a giant cesspool, etc. etc..

But as I said, Obama can’t do this - I’m only hoping he can inspire us to do it together.

Other than that - I think the most beautiful thing about Obama’s victory is how it is being received by other nations. That damn sure enough touches my heart. Think about it - if other nations like this guy, they will probably do more to make their relations with U.S. work in an agreeable fashion. Heck, they might even bend over backwards to help things along - anything that may promote an avoidance of a Bush repeat (McCain/Palin or any other canidate seen as a “Bush clone” that might run in 2012).