Since I can remember, which is all the way back to coming home from morning-session-kindergarten and watching Jimmy Carter being sworn in, I have not been political. For many years I didn't even vote because I felt that I was too ignorant of the issues to make a decision that had the potential to... I dunno, turn "Bushish". I watched, I listened half-heartedly, and I deemed the entire process: full of shit. The voting part changed some years back, but I still find the whole process, and politicians in general: full of shit.
But last night something happened that has never in my personal history happened to me. Obama came out and started into his acceptance speech, (my Texan hubby had, of course, gone to bed) and as I watched this man and listened to him speak, I got goosebumps, tears streamed down my face--slowly at first and as the speech continued, they became unchecked-- and the most remarkable thing of all... I Believed Him. For the consummate political cynic that I am, this was the most amazing thing of all to me. I never believe politicians. They have all been inducted into the highest order of liars, and are simply better than most people at covering it up enough to get elected. That has Always been my view. You can not possibly imagine my surprise at my own reaction.
I guess you can say that I fell a little bit in love with Obama during that speech. I was so glad to know it was not just an indicator that I'd mysteriously contracted a mental disease. I watched and flipped back and forth between the after-shows, and they had all felt it, and had fallen for him too. They were full of glassy-eyed praise and optimism that I haven't seen in news reporters maybe Ever... this was the immediate effect of our collective decision to put this man at the helm and what it would mean to this country. I called out inside my own head, "We are FREE" ... of Bush of course! Of all that Bush stands for; the lazy, greedy, sell-out-your-own-country-to-line-your-pockets, fear-mongering, all-about-me mentality that has pervaded and perverted the outlook, world image and general feeling of the entire population of America--I'll stop myself before I tell you what I really think...
And while I feel this strongly about the double-term-dose of hell that W's administration has inflicted on our country, until last night, I was not overly moved or felt really invested in the outcome of this election. I live in the middle of nowhere. Cows, cornfields and chickens don't give a damn who is in power. The only real effect in my personal day-to-day has been gas and food prices, and a generalized low-level sorrow that had gripped me from the day my son was born when I think about the world he's inheriting. Because fear-mongering, although it may not work directly on cows, cornfields and chickens, does distort the surrounding energies of the universe in the long term, so that even I, in the middle of nowhere, had become fearful of standing on my back porch by myself at night. That is how completely it has taken over and placed a secret stranglehold over our citizenry. After the speech, and the post-speech-shows, that fog of fear felt cleared. I stood out without fear for the first time in a very long time.
It was an unbelievable conclusion to a night that had started with my sis & I giving my Texan hubby a ration of shit for voting McCain. He said he did it because watching the SNL political bash show the night before, when he finally saw the Sarah Palin rap with Amy Pohler shooting the moose... well that was it for him. Ohhh, that reminds me, I need to get hubby out there and have him start teaching our son how to shoot... I mean he is almost two already, so if they don't get on it, the state of Texas will revoke my boy's birth certificate!
Yeah, so my only real disappointment of the night--aside from hubby's voting decision-- was not getting to watch the results come in, and seeing Texas turn BLUE....
OK, I have to go, I just laughed so hard I spit coffee all over my 'puter! Ciao for now, readers... and I hope you realize like I did that it's OK to have hope now, because Yes We Can.
5 comments:
So well said! I stayed up to watch the acceptance speech and I'm so glad I did. I felt the exact same way, and the last words of your blog, YES WE CAN are still giving me chills and goose bumps this morning. Great post!
Yes, wasn't that an AMAZING speech? I put it on my Tivo so I could watch it again and I'll replay it again for my son, who fell asleep listening to his new President's voice.
I knew when I heard him deliver the keynote address at the Democratic National Convention in 2004 he would one day be President. I just knew it would happen, some year. President-elect Obama is one of the most eloguent speakers I have ever heard. In modern day history I believe he may be the best. That aside, my prayers are with him as he builds his team and tries to work this country out of the quagmire in which we find ourselves. Who knows what lies ahead for us, but if we can survive the last eight years of hellish mistakes and still be standing, I believe we can now stand tall again and trudge on in greatness.
I feel the same way as you. I let my kids stay up and watch it with me. After it was announced Obama had won, I could not stop crying. My heart was so full of happiness I felt as if it would burst. This turn of events has definitely changed they way I have looked at things and i feel as anything is possible.
It was the first time that I have felt good about watching a President-elect speech since 1992 when Clinton was elected. My family has always been politically active and lifelong Democrats. It was better though because at this point we have suffered more and for a longer time than when Clinton was elected; I was not a fan of Bush Sr., but looking back he was a better President and much smarter than his idiot son. The world is in a real crisis now, plus the race issue is a big addition as well - no 'Bradley effect'. Maybe Charles Barkley was right - I saw an interview with him a few weeks ago, and he said there also might be moderate Whites (particularly men) who would not admit to anyone, including pollsters, friends and family, that they wanted Obama. Barkley called this the 'Ernie effect'. It's also really great to hear that Obama has inspired so many people who were not really interested in politics before. Thank you for your thoughts and good energy!
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