orichalcum: (Obama)
orichalcum ([personal profile] orichalcum) wrote2008-11-05 02:41 pm

"Let's Go Change the World." --Barack Obama

Bads:

There are things I'm sad about today. The biggest is the passage of Proposition 8 in CA, taking away marriage rights from 18,000 couples and institutionalizing discrimination. I wonder what the result would have been if, like MA, Californians had more time to get used to the gay marriages in their midst before voting on it. But the reality is, we're a big, very diverse state, and we may have to wait 10 years till the youthful generation are more of a majority.

Looking around the country though, what strikes me is how big an uphill battle this still is - with even domestic partnerships outlawed in Florida and Arizona, and gay adoption banned in Arkansas. We will win this fight, eventually, but it's going to take a while.

I'm also sad that my mom, whose first job was teaching at a historically black college in Atlanta, and who helped organize MLK's funeral, isn't alive to see today. I know she would have loved Barack, and I'm grieving that he won't be her President.

I wouldn't want Barack's job. Dear Lord does he have a lot of problems to deal with.

Really, Alaska?

Goods:

I believe in our next President. I believe that he is competent, that he is wise, that he is compassionate, that he is cautious, and that he's got the common sense God gave a donkey.

I have spent the morning grinning madly whenever I see one of my African-American students or colleagues, thinking, "You can be President!"

Stanford students staged an impromptu bonfire in the Quad last night, and hundreds of them gathered around, holding hands, and singing the National Anthem. This country belongs to them again, and to me. I feel like an equal citizen again.

And I love our new First Family, known by the Secret Service as Renegade, Renaissance, Radiance, and Rosebud (I fear poor Sasha may miss sledding in DC), and they totally deserve their new puppy.

I wish this nation was as accepting of social change as I would like it to be, but I feel confident that Barack Obama will help lead us into a new era. My son gets to grow up with a President he can admire and respect and hopefully agree with. I'm glad to have been able to help give him that gift, one I didn't have.

Thank you [livejournal.com profile] contrariety, for Nevada, and the family of [livejournal.com profile] digitalemur, for Ohio, and [livejournal.com profile] wildpaletz and [livejournal.com profile] woodwindy and [livejournal.com profile] senatorhatty and [livejournal.com profile] msarden and [livejournal.com profile] xse99 for Pennsylvania, and [livejournal.com profile] meepodeekin and [livejournal.com profile] marginaleye and [livejournal.com profile] ebs98 for North Carolina, and [livejournal.com profile] holmes_iv for New Hampshire, and anyone else whom I'm forgetting, thank you so much for your efforts. We did it. Go us. This is our victory.

[identity profile] meepodeekin.livejournal.com 2008-11-05 10:56 pm (UTC)(link)
Last night my next door neighbor had an election viewing party. It was pretty quiet (from inside our house anyway), until just after Obama's speech, when we hear one single, reallllly loud "YEEEAAAAAH!" Awesome. Today, for the first time in 4 1/4 years, I am content to live in NC.

And really, Alaska? Some people truly do not have the sense Gd gave a donkey. To which I would like to add the 14,195 people who saw fit to wait in line yesterday to vote in NC and write in a candidate for President.

[identity profile] orichalcum.livejournal.com 2008-11-05 10:59 pm (UTC)(link)
Well, it looks like he's still got the state, but yeah. I see your point.

[identity profile] wildpaletz.livejournal.com 2008-11-06 12:07 am (UTC)(link)
Who is Renegade?

Thanks for posting this. It reminds me--my mom was raised a "Franklin Roosevelt Democrat," and she went down to Selma during the desegregation there. She'd have been pretty thrilled with this day as well.

[identity profile] outlawradio.livejournal.com 2008-11-06 12:29 am (UTC)(link)
And my mom and stepdad for Indiana (despite Bartholomew County's recalcitrance)!

[identity profile] cerridwynn.livejournal.com 2008-11-06 12:35 am (UTC)(link)
There's decent sledding in DC! (Well, there was while i was growing up...)

Also i've been claiming full responsibility for NH. :-P

[identity profile] emilymorgan.livejournal.com 2008-11-06 01:00 am (UTC)(link)
*laughs* Yeah, I've been claiming the same for PA.

[identity profile] holmes-iv.livejournal.com 2008-11-06 02:14 am (UTC)(link)
Well, the two towns I canvassed in went for Obama by 1300 votes and 300 votes, so I want at least a nod on the acknowledgements page. :-P

[identity profile] orichalcum.livejournal.com 2008-11-06 02:22 am (UTC)(link)
Renegade is Barack, Michelle is Renaissance, and the girls are Radiance and Rosebud.

[identity profile] orichalcum.livejournal.com 2008-11-06 02:22 am (UTC)(link)
Go you! You get 1/8th of PA!

[identity profile] orichalcum.livejournal.com 2008-11-06 02:22 am (UTC)(link)
You can share it with holmes_iv. I award it to you!

[identity profile] orichalcum.livejournal.com 2008-11-06 02:23 am (UTC)(link)
Really? Well, good for Sasha, then!

[identity profile] apintrix.livejournal.com 2008-11-06 02:47 am (UTC)(link)
You might want to thank J, who was being a legal poll-monitor all day in NC and helped deal with some nasty disenfranchisement problems. :)

[identity profile] wildpaletz.livejournal.com 2008-11-06 03:29 am (UTC)(link)
Wow heh. Nice names for the girls. Such cute girls!

[identity profile] cerridwynn.livejournal.com 2008-11-06 03:58 am (UTC)(link)
Oh, okay. I'll share.

Actually, now i'm curious -- i need to go look up Rochester...

[identity profile] meepodeekin.livejournal.com 2008-11-06 04:01 am (UTC)(link)
Poor J and good for him. Where in NC was he working?

[identity profile] cerridwynn.livejournal.com 2008-11-06 04:05 am (UTC)(link)
Well, we got a fair amount of snow in the Maryland suburbs, anyway -- at least one big storm a year (6+ inches -- often over a foot) and several smaller accumulations. The difference between MD and MA, that i've noticed, is that in MD the snow doesn't stick around for more than a week. So you have to grab your sledding opportunities when you can.

[identity profile] orichalcum.livejournal.com 2008-11-06 04:36 am (UTC)(link)
Yay for J! I didn't know, though he called our party. He gets 1/4th of NC, then!

[identity profile] a-dodecahedron.livejournal.com 2008-11-08 06:49 pm (UTC)(link)
I guess Texas is my fault. ;-/ I'll take credit for Houston's county turning blue, though!