Washblog

This is something I never thought I'd see in my lifetime.

by Pen on Tue Nov 04, 2008 at 10:04:46 PM PST

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When I was still a teenager, we put people on the moon, and we thought we could accomplish anything.  I am so grateful to have lived to see us elect an African-American to be President.  Never mind that he is a centrist (thank the powers that be that this country is moving toward the center again!), this election makes a powerful statement of what we can accomplish.

by Arresthpres on Wed Nov 05, 2008 at 05:31:43 AM PST

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I was doing GOTV phoning at about 7 last night when someone said, Ohio's called for Obama - and that's it: we won  I thought -- I'm not going to feel happy yet -- they still can steal it, they still can flip it.  I drove home crying, pls don't let them steal this one.  It's like I've been poisoned -- I had to struggle to believe that the outcome could be positive.

Later, sitting at home with my husband & teenager son, that's when joy flooded in.  Not only Obama, but a Gregoire victory, Peter Goldmark apparently winning, I-985 defeated, a good result in the state legislature. I felt so happy for my son -- relieved. His chances in life now appear so much brighter to me.

And that acceptance speech! The call to a  positive, collaborative ownership of democracy and, in contrast to my traumatized disbelief, a call to believe that "we can". A call for global unity. I asked my husband, is it possible that we have elected exactly the kind of leader who has a hope of inspiring the people in this country to step back from the brink?

And I thought that the sober tone of the acceptance speech was appropriate. What's next: work ahead.

by noemie maxwell on Wed Nov 05, 2008 at 08:52:07 AM PST

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after canvassing.  When they called it for Obama at 8 PM, I heard my neighborhood erupt in yelling and fireworks.  

Went out on the porch and me and the young college students next door, who are working their way through school, started hooting and hollering.

They invited me over for champers and we watched the speech.

We were all crying.  These were folks that were not active in the campaign, but they were saying finally we can can health care, we can end the war, we can get education.

One said it's like we are liberated from 8 years of oppressiveness.

I said more like 28 years or more, their whole life.  I was thinking, how great that people raised in the environment of right wing ideological control can see so clearly.

I realized that I did not have healthcare coverage at the time that Reagan was elected, and it was just a pie in the sky idea to me, had not ever been something I thought would be more than a slogan on a banner for a demonstration. Pragmatically, I just figured I'd eventually get a job that would provide it and I had the safety net of parents.  The terrain was so different then.

Thinking we just might, if we keep up the involvement, just might have a siesmic shift.  But, I cannot underestimate the Rovians, bankrupt as they are.

My bro-in-law wants everyone to put a bumper sticker on our cars that says one thing, "UNITE".

by ktkeller on Wed Nov 05, 2008 at 02:11:38 PM PST

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