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).

In 1776 Thomas Jefferson wrote “All men are created equal”, but a decade later the Founding Fathers declared that for the purpose of representation in Congress only three-fifths of the black slave population would be counted. In other words, a black man was to be scored as three-fifths of a white man in the apportionment of members of the House of Representatives. And yet 221 years later a theoretical descendant of one of those three-fifths colored persons was elected on November 4, 2008 as the forty-fourth President of the United States. That’s progress for you, a positive sign of social evolution in the right direction. Thus perhaps we the people of the United States are on God’s side after all.

Here’s one for you guys: Recently Palin commented to reporters something to the effect that she was surprised how vicious the reporters were during the campaign. HA, makes you wonder what she expected. During the campaign she was even criticized for defending herself from what reporters were saying. Gives me a glimpse into how thin her skin is and how easily she is distracted. Whereas Obama stayed extremely focused (you could say he “stayed the course”). Now, without much surprise he is already falling under much criticism for his first steps in preparation for his upcoming term. I began to realize that he’ll probably bring the same kind of intense focus to his presidency as he had demonstrated during his campaigning. And then it struck me, although all along I had paid no attention to how he is half black, half white, and only listened to what his message was, I think now that his racial make-up is a big benefit to both him and us as a nation. Being half black, half white, he must have encountered tremendous unjust criticism while growing up and as an adult. He must have learned to stay focused regardless of what some people thought or said. In short, he must have grew a thick skin. So now, times being what they are, I am especially glad to have someone entering office that can maintain focus and not be distracted by frivilous comments by some “reporters.”

On the morning of the fifth of November,I wakened. My first thoughts were Gooood morning, America! NOW, this IS “MORNING IN AMERICA”.Sorry Ron. The Milton Freedman long nightmare though is not yet over, but there is now at last, a potential. At least a hope, that after the newness wears off, we’ll roll up our sleaves. I feel like my brother has been elected to President.A borther not in fact, but that the other shoe has dropped. Possabily we are closer to healing America’s birth defect.The obsession that some have, whom judge an entire people by the “color of their skin rather than the content of their character”
who said that? Now all people will grow and set their sights higher and further than before.
What now? The new President is only one man.He’s doing what he should do under the circumstances, hand out shovels.The work is not just his.Democrats, Rebublicans, Independents helped to put us in this deep hole.You can argue who’s most at fault later.(I so tempted to opt for revenge and stinging rebuke, myself!) We must rise up and man those shovels and fill this hole, beginning now! If any don’t have anything constructive to say, “shut the f**k up! “Funding” directly for projects that increase jobs, create customers, for main street. The fastest money, is a middle class job! Before you can get a tax cut, a rebate or reduction, sending unearned ckecks is a “candle in the wind”,a false economy. “Welfare Capitalism” has an extreemly short life. One lost paycheck effects six others on mainstreet! That money will have bounce! There are many other good ideas out there. Lets listen. Since our new President ran a gentleman’s campaign,yes, but like a Feild Marshal. To paraphrase a quote of General Patton,”Don’t try tell your “men” how to do it, indicate to them what must be done and they will surprise you”!

What say you? The name Palin make me think of Stalin.Does it you?

I’m something of a skeptic. I think people are placing too much blind faith in Obama. A president only has the power Congress grants him. And the Congress we have is basically the same corrupt Congress that allowed the criminal antics of Bush.

Democrats and Republicans tend to play good cop–bad cop with the American people. While pretending to represent the will of the people it really carries out the will of corporations.

What depresses me is Obama’s desire to beef up the war in Afghanistan. The original reason given for attacking Afghanistan was to get bin Laden for allegedly being behind 9/11. I seriously doubt that the US is still searching for bin Laden–so why are we there?

And illegals. The US cannot sustain the constant influx. Yet Obama wants to grant amnesty.

And there are a host of other problems facing the country. As of yet I’ve heard no real solutions offered–only platitudes.