laceblade | Post-Election Wrap-Up

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Post-Election Wrap-Up

Sick of election posts? Too bad.

I'm a little disturbed by all of my friends on Facebook and LiveJournal saying that this is the first time in eight years that they feel proud to be an American. Being American is about a hell of a lot more than who the president is. We have a lot to be proud of, every day, no matter who gets elected.

I don't want to make a post full of gloating glee, because I remember pretty vividly what it feels like to lose. I hope that, at the very least, everyone can be excited about the fact that we are witnessing the first black man becoming President. Because that's pretty sweet, guys, even if you didn't vote for him.

McCain had a classy concession speech, and it's a shame that he felt the need to sell out for the entire election. If the actual John McCain had run for President, I think this would have been a different race indeed.

I also think that Obama gave a pretty humble acceptance speech. It's very clear to me that he's reaching out to the people who didn't vote for him ("I hear you, too"). I hope that everyone can accept him with a little more grace than the way Democrats could not accept reality in 2000 or 2004. (I really can't stand buttons like "Not my president." Sorry, but Bush is your president!) ALSO, Obama promised a puppy for the White House. If that doesn't melt your heart the tiniest bit, then there is just no talking to you.

Message I left on my parents' answering machine earlier today:
Hey, it's me....just wondering if you guys voted yet and canceled each other out. Later!

Then my mom called me back and left her own message:
Yes, I voted it! But your father's still at work. So don't call back later! Maybe he'll forget or be too tired, and my vote will count more then!

Later in the evening, I called back anyway.
MOM: *disgusted sigh* He voted.
ME: Well, that'll happen. Is Dad upset?
MOM: I don't know! He's upstairs.
ME: Wait, you're watching the results on separate TVs?
MOM: Yes!

My sister, in a hushed whisper: "Jackie?"
ME: What?
SISTER, laughing: What is the electoral college? [My sister is 37, by the way]
ME: Are you kidding me? Are you trying to argue with Kevin?
SISTER: No. Just....tell me.
ME: Okay. So...each state's popular vote doesn't actually matter...they have representatives who decide where the state's influence will go.
SISTER: I know! I know that!
ME: ....And the amount of votes they get is based on population size.
SISTER: I know that!
ME: Then what is your problem?!
SISTER, still whispering: That....doesn't make any sense.
ME: It's....in the Constitution. I don't know what to tell you.

Even though I live a few blocks away, I could hear a dull roar of cheering from State Street when I got home last night, and that was over an hour after the election had been called.

Also, if you haven't done so yet, you should really read about the parallels between this election and the last two seasons of The West Wing, because the similarities are uncanny, down to the Phillies playing for the World Cup.

I was pretty tired yesterday, and I watched the election results on ABC at Antoine's place, with Creighton and Carolyn, and The Hammer. I like being on my laptop when election results are reported so that I can check more local results. I was also able to type up sections of my NanoWrimo story that I had written out longhand at work. And, of course, I could hang out at my favorite political news place:

ontd_political. My favorite comment there from today thus far is this reaction to Obama naming his Chief of Staff: Oh man, this is gonna be THE HOTTEST CABINET EVAR!!! Of course, I also have a lot of love for this post, discussing what kind of dog the families Obama and Biden should get.

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the way Democrats could not accept reality in 2000

Accept reality? Or accept a stolen election? I think people didn't make enough fuss, considering the shenanigans that happened.

Yeah, the stolen election sucked. I'm not saying that it didn't!

But when it became clear that people were NOT going to throw a shit-fit, and Bush was going to be the president for four years, people still couldn't let go of the fact that Bush won. I don't know if I'm explaining this well enough or not. I guess I'm just trying to make the point that I wasn't referring to the stolen election, but rather to the "I'm moving to Canada! (Except that I'm not!)" sentiments that seemed pretty pervasive.

Hah hah hah, your family is so funny! Your poor dad :(

No kidding! John Gard lost, McCain lost, and both houses of the Wisconsin and federal legislatures went Democrat. I LAUGH FOREVER.

Hahaha! This post is made of win :)

Yay!

I absolutely agree with what you said about McCain. These last few days, he sounds far more genuine and presidential when he wasn't campaigning. I actually felt sad during his concession speech and was actively glad he's still a senator. I think he will honestly work his ass off for Obama and the country.

I could see myself voting for yesterday's McCain... um.. if he didn't have Palin on the ticket.

Also, Yay West Wing!

Yay! It's my favorite TV show!

Exactly! I think McCain would have done a lot better if he had campaigned as the McCain we knew from like, 6 or 8 years ago, instead of some crabby sell-out.

I'm a little disturbed by all of my friends on Facebook and LiveJournal saying that this is the first time in eight years that they feel proud to be an American. Being American is about a hell of a lot more than who the president is. We have a lot to be proud of, every day, no matter who gets elected.

While I generally agree with you on this, it's been really damn hard over the past 8 years with Bush & Co smearing their feces all over everything they touch. That, and I found it delightful to see it echoed everywhere, seeing how much shit Michelle Obama caught for it from the Foxies.

It can be hard sometimes, certainly, but I take pride in my patriotism. "Dissent is the highest form of patriotism," and all that.

But I think there's a difference between patriotism and having pride in one's country - I can love my country, which is patriotism, but be ashamed of what has been done in my name as an American.

SISTER, still whispering: That....doesn't make any sense.
ME: It's....in the Constitution. I don't know what to tell you.

That doesn't actually mean it makes any sense. I empathize with your sister.

I'm a little disturbed by all of my friends on Facebook and LiveJournal saying that this is the first time in eight years that they feel proud to be an American. Being American is about a hell of a lot more than who the president is. We have a lot to be proud of, every day, no matter who gets elected.

That's true. There's been a ton not to be proud of under the Bush administration, and many days, that mess overshadowed any reason I would have felt proud. I'm not even sure I feel proud today, in light of all the anti-gay sentiment coming out of the state elections.

I empathize with her, too! I just thought it was a funny conversation. It's been interesting to see her become more knowledgeable about politics over the years. When I was a junior in high school, I had to interview her about politics for a school project, and when I asked her which issue was most important to her, she said, "National daycare." But in this election, she initially supported Clinton, but gladly voted for Obama, too.

It can be difficult to find things to be proud about, especially with the anti-gay bullshit. BUT, I've never not been proud to be American, I don't think (maybe I should Google search my blog before I make that claim!).

I loved your conversation with your sister. I feel the same way that she does - I understand how it works (at least as well as someone who didn't really study politics can); I just don't get how or why we chose to do it that way. I'd have had that same conversation with somebody by now if I didn't already know that it wouldn't get me anywhere, lol.

Yeah, there's so much political stuff that doesn't really make sense. Our country runs on some really weird laws, when you think about it.

Well, if the West Wing was so accurate, we need to bring it back and in this season all people get the right to marriage, hate crime ends, everybody has food, and national health care hurts no one and helps everyone. For free.

Get on it, NBC!

LOL, I don't want it to come back, though. As much as the first four seasons are my favorite TV show EVAR, the latter three were pretty.....terrible, mostly because Aaron Sorkin left, but also because everything that didn't predict the presidential election that just happened was stolen from current headlines because the writers were too lazy to make up their own plot. Also, the dialogue sucked, the characters did not act like the characters I had grown to love, and just....AGH. So...I guess I should encourage people to love the first four seasons. MWAHA.

Great, so you're saying if a tv show could magically create miraculous change in this world, you'd rather it stay off the air so you could remember the West Wing "the way it was," and avoid "sucky dialog?"

I see how it is. You're going to hell, fangirl!

You're right, being an American is about a lot more than who the president is - what makes me proud is how our nation came together in support of a new change of pace, a new ideal, and a new position in the world. I am proud of my fellow Americans acting out idealism, instead of fear. I am proud of them for being strong enough to elect a black president when many people said we "weren't ready."

I have not been proud to identify myself as an American in the global context while that has meant an association with war, torture, racism, homophobia, and any number of other things under the Bush Administration. Even Obama knows this victory isn't about him - it's about Americans making a conscious step in a different direction. That's what I'm proud of. I can love my country and feel ashamed of what we've done as a nation, just as I can love a relative who has committed a crime that I'm not proud of. Obama doesn't make me proud: Americans make me proud. A realignment of our nation's ideals make me proud. I am not a nationalist - pride and respect are not unconditional.

I know that having Obama as president is cool (well, obviously - I voted for him, and excited as everyone on my friends list is). I guess my point was more that having a different president doesn't automatically change everything that the country stands for. There's still going to be racism, homophobia, war, and probably torture, too. The bad stuff doesn't go away, just like I don't believe that the good stuff doesn't completely go away under poor leadership, either.

Well, of course. But voter turnout and actual voting results represent a sea change in our collective society. I don't believe that this country stood for anything that Bush did with it - which is why I wasn't proud of my association when them: those things were un-American. I certainly don't think good stuff goes away under bad leadership, or bad stuff goes away under good leadership - that's way over-simplistic thinking, which I'm not doing here. I think the distinction between love and pride is an important one. I love my country - and as a child of parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents in the military, that means something different to me than it perhaps does to many of my fellow liberals. I certainly didn't stick my head in the sand for the last eight years and pretend I wasn't a part of this country's bad and good together, which is precisely why I'm proud of us. I'm proud of us taking a stand, regaining a sense of hope, and making a conscious choice to break with the trends of the past eight years and try something new. I never stopped loving America, which is why I am so proud of it now.

Okay, so you pwned me. Is there a graceful way to say, "I suck" on LJ? If not, let's pretend that I did!

I think what you said is important, though! And maybe other people don't feel what I feel - I dunno. You're right that we have a heritage and a history of wonderful rights and privileges, and that has to be taken into account. I just didn't want you to think I was a fairweather patriot.

And you don't suck. I love you!

LOLz Jackie, did you just say something about the Phillies playing for the World Cup??

I'm giggling inside as a baseball fan. In an awww...that's so cute sort of way.

Baseball=World Series
Soccer=World Cup

*cough*

So, the worst part is that I thought it was the Philadelphia hockey team that won some sort of championship. THAT'S RIGHT, IN OCTOBER.

Sweet. October hockey.

Well...I guess that does exist, but it's the beginning of the season.

In case you were caring...the Philadelphia hockey team is the Flyers. And I think that's called the Stanley Cup.

At least you knew that A team from Philadelphia had won SOMETHING....better than many people.

Within America, I'm not ashamed to be an american. In fact, I get really angry with people who throw around the "unamerican" card. But outside the US? Have you been there? It's no joke to say that there are places you can't get into, simply by being from the US. I'm tired of defending an administration that I don't even agree with.

It was a lot easier to be abroad in the 90s.

But outside the US? Have you been there?

No! Except when I went to Canada to buy my Prom dress. :D

But okay, that's a perspective I haven't thought of. Thank you!

I'm kind of conflicted by the fact that everyone's being so self congratulatory that we voted in a black president, but gay marriage was voted down.

Well, I guess I feel it's better to be happy about what we can be happy about. And as much as it sucks, I didn't hold my breath on gay marriage. Most states are banning it, and while it sucks, it didn't surprise me.

RE: pride. The notion of pride and what one can be proud of is something i've thought A LOT about since i moved away from Pennsylvania in 2001. Because suddenly i became known, in part, for being Pennsylvanian, and i began to wonder: Am i proud to be Pennsylvanian? And from there, of course, came all the questions of: Am i proud to be American? Am i proud to be of Irish heritage, of Bohemian heritage? What, in fact, AM i proud of??

This is what i've come to realize (and i know that this is pretty idiosyncratic to me): there are actually 3 positions -- pride, not-ashamed, ashamed.

For me, pride tends to be something i only feel about accomplishments, and only things either i or my close family/friends/spouse have done. I am deeply proud of Andy for the promotion he got at work. I am proud when i do well in a class or at my job. I swell with pride when i see one of my friends argue a really excellent point on the internet.

Am i proud to be Pennsylvanian or American? Um, no. Because i didn't DO anything to be either of those things, they are accidents of birth. What i feel about those things are, really, not-shame. A sort of middle, default, fairly neutral position. I get my back up when people taunt me about being either Pennsylvanian or American, but i'm not getting my back up because i'm proud -- i'm getting my back up because i should not be made to feel ashamed just because i am either of those things.

(Illustrative anecdote. Upon finding out that some of my more recent ancestors came from Bohemia, someone (in a rather weak attempt at humor) teased me by saying, "Oh, so you're a bohunk?" And i point blank told them to fuck off. This person, may i add, was (and still is, i hasten to note) my boss. Am i *proud* that my great-great-great-grandfather came from a small town somewhere in the land of the Češi? Not exactly. But should i be ashamed of it? No fucking way. And so you do not fucking get to use an ethnic slur about it. Silly boss.)

I can certainly be ashamed of being those things -- Pennsylvanian or American -- tho' it's more shame-by-association. I routinely apologize on behalf of my native state for Rick Santorum. I have likewise occasionally apologized to my foreign friends for the shitty things the U.S. government has done over the past 8 years.

Last night, tho', i was surprised to discover that, for probably the 1st time in my life, i actually felt PROUD of my country. It was shocking because, as i've said, my country and my citizenship are things that are, essentially, too big and too, frankly, arbitrary for me to feel pride about. But what i felt wasn't pride for the country or my citizenship in said country per se -- what i felt pride about was so many millions of individuals who got off their butts and engaged in the process. I felt pride for those people and those actions -- the same sort of pride i felt when i watched Andy filling out his ballot. "That's my partner. He's voting. He's using his voice." Then multiply that by millions. "Those are my people. They've voted. They've thought about this, they've gotten engaged in the process. My people are speaking."

And, yes, i was extra special double proud that they voted in someone smart. Someone who seems to have a pretty good chance of not ruining the country -- of maybe fixing some of the things i've felt ashamed about that i've apologized for.

Pride for "my country" is just, for me, too big, too nebulous, too essentially random a thing to really feel active pride for. Last night, to my (pleasant) surprise, i did discover i could feel pride for its citizens. That was kind of awesome to discover.

I know i just left the longest comment in the history of ever up there, but i wanted to add one last thing:

I know everyone else articulates their feelings about things like this as "pride" for being ... American or being a certain heritage or whatever. I'm not saying at all that it's *wrong* to articulate those feelings with the word "pride"; i'm just saying that word doesn't work for me, personally, in that context. As i think i mentioned in that huge mass of text up there, i know that the way i think about this is pretty idiosyncratic.

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Post-Election Wrap-Up

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