I am reminded watching our electoral system unfold tonight, the magic of representative democracy in action, and the beauty of our peaceful transfer of power in the greatest and most powerful nation in the world, that ours is a truly wonderful country.
Whether your party wins in or loses elections, it is a splendid thing to behold.
Congratulations to Barack Obama, a true American success story - whatever his politics and however mightily we might disagree with him now or in the future.
Godspeed in the awesome responsibility he is about to undertake.
Posted by Eric Earling at November 04, 2008 08:06 PM | Email ThisThankfully I've "shrugged" and can go and ride it out overseas... For my friends in the US, if you need to shrug and feel some freedom again, let me know - e-mail address is posted.
Posted by: Shanghai Dan on November 4, 2008 08:21 PMThis is not going to be good.
Posted by: Michele on November 4, 2008 08:25 PMThe Leader is good, the Leader is great, I surrender my will as of this date.
Repeat as necessary.
Posted by: Dan on November 4, 2008 08:27 PMWe survived Wilson, FDR, and Johnson, ... we'll get through this.
Posted by: Trent on November 4, 2008 08:32 PMThe vote shows people in the U.S. haven't gotten a decent education. Why else would they, in effect, throw away the Constitution?
Posted by: jay on November 4, 2008 08:33 PMDo you suppose that now Obama has been elected, The One will quit speaking so generally and poetically and will actually give us his detailed plans for our country? If Barack, with the support of both the House and the Senate, tries to force too much of his socialist agenda onto the country, I expect that we will have an election in 2010 very similar to 1994 - huge gains for Republicans in both the House and the Senate.
Soon we will all see just how fit he is for the job.
Posted by: Gary on November 4, 2008 08:34 PMI wouldn't get my hopes up if I were you - Once the "Fairness Doctrine" is imposed and talk radio is shut down...and the "right wing" blogs like SP are silenced by new "hate speech" laws, I fear that we may never again see elections such as the ones that we have taken for granted for far too long....
Posted by: suzihomemaker on November 4, 2008 08:40 PMGas Prices (up when/if Israel Attacks Iran's Nukes)
Inflation (up as Spending will skyrocket)
Unemployment (up as businesses get taxed)
Sweaters in the White House (energy crisis)
The only good thing about going back to Carter, is that it brought us Reagan.
Scary times, comrades, scary times indeed... Keep your head down and your powder dry.
Posted by: Rick D. on November 4, 2008 08:46 PMI hope that once and for all this election stifles the RINOS like Earling and the rest who think you can "work" with Democrats. They will stab you in the back.
I am not all that sad McCain lost to be frank. Theat milquetoast should never have been the nominee. I am more sad Obama won because he is a racist America hating socialist. Oh, and "gird your loins" folks, expect the world to "test" Obama as Gaffer Biden told us.
For the first time in my life, I am ashamed to be an American.
Posted by: pbj on November 4, 2008 08:49 PMBut then I see the video from Obama's rally. Is there a single white person on stage? No. Is there a single hispanic person on stage? No.
Now tell me, do you really think that they are as comfortable with multiculturalism as the previous administrations? I would argue no.
I wonder if anybody in the MSM will be brave enough to point at the racism that gave Obama the presidency. If you look at the primary votes for Obama broken down by race, Obama received 90% of the black vote. That reminds me of numbers from elections of white politicians in Alabama in the 1950's. But alas, the liberal MSM wouldn't dare point out the racist nature of the vote.
Anyway, I congratulate Obama and I do recognize his election's significance in American history. Racist or not, those votes were legitimate and that stain does not delegitimize his presidency one bit. But now that the history is made, let's move on...wait...where have I heard that?
Race issues aside, that's not the biggest problem on our hands; we are about to see the largest punishment for success and prosperity in American history. Goodbye free markets. Goodbye private property. If you want to know what is next, just read any of the books written by the minds in the Austrian school of economics.
Let the government sponsored theft begin.
Posted by: blindman on November 4, 2008 08:51 PMKarl Rove, not Karl Marx is responsible for this Democratic Mandate and if the Dems play the same scorched-earth game they will reap the same fate in due time.
Moreover, those of you who think Obama is a Marxist have obviously never read or studied Karl Marx.
This is great news and a great opportunity for The United States of America! You can wallow in your bitterness, start building bridges, or take a hard look at why you were so thoroughly repudiated and get working on 2010.
Regardless of what you decide, "Real" America has made it's decision!
Who'd have thought!
Posted by: BA on November 4, 2008 08:58 PMI'm guessing this settles the reparations issue?
Does this also mean Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton are out of jobs? Who are they going to fight for? The white man?
Posted by: Dave on November 4, 2008 09:00 PMdon't be a dumbshit...earlier there were a whole shitload of people on stage singing songs. not a single white person in sight. it was just an observation I made. remember when the Republicans were criticized for not having a single black person at the Republican convention?
Posted by: blindman on November 4, 2008 09:16 PMwe'll see. this country was/is great because it was the first time in human history that individual liberty was truly secured.
by electing a whole cadre of politicians that truly believe that private property and individual rights are anathema to the "american dream" we have failed the original premise of the "grand experiment".
Being in favor of progressive taxation does not indicate opposition to private property and individual rights. Even Adam Smith advocated for progressive taxation.
The "Marx" hyperbole may have played well to partisans but it's just that, hyperbole.
Posted by: Danny on November 4, 2008 09:39 PMMy analysis of the presidential race: In a contest between mostly bad ideas and mostly no ideas, the bad ideas won.
If the center-right is able to keep it together, from the grassroots up, and take this in stride with mature reflection, perhaps we will have only four- or eight-years in the wilderness.
Posted by: Trent on November 4, 2008 09:44 PMThe onus on him is now to live up to everything all people expect of him. If course, that's simply not possible. He is a reflection in a magic mirror: he is whatever the looker wants him to be.
I believe we will survive TWO years of one party rule. (Let's just hope the old libs on the Supreme Court stick it out for 2 years + 1 day.) In 2 years the liberal Congress will have shown the American VOTER exactkly who they are. In these next four years of Bambi, he'll have to curb his extremism, if only because he'll want another four.
Have heart... and a good stiff drink.
Posted by: Ragnar Danneskjold on November 4, 2008 09:48 PMWith Dems as Pres. & Governor, the spouse & I have decided to close our small business (after 25 yrs) and work elsewhere. Probably out of state...within a year, 3 of the 4 homeowners on our street are selling & moving away. Hope voters enjoy all the new taxes.
Posted by: dl on November 4, 2008 10:04 PMJust wondering.
Posted by: cpk on November 4, 2008 10:22 PMI pray that Senator Obama and the apparent super-majority in the US Congress do not abandon our allies here in Afghanistan. Despite what many in the media have portrayed, we are having success here. It would be a tragic shame should we leave here now.
I appreciate the posts - it helps us Citizen-Soldiers from Washington State keep updated on the electoral process back home.
Let's hear it for grace and civility and may God Bless our Great Republic!
Very Respectivefully,
Phil Osterli
Posted by: Phil Osterli on November 4, 2008 11:06 PMHappy Obama day, hope they appreciate the irony.
As for America, well I doubt it will survive, it has been trending for far too long towards the nanny state, after the Lefist "Fix" our system to consolidate their power base I doubt we will ever see an honest election again or even have the right to complain.
I have had a good life, but I feel terribly sorry for my children and all the other people who are about to become slaves of the underachievers and will have to live under the glorious leaders rule, for those that helped Obama, you deserve the hell you have brought on yourselves.
I wish that every conservative businessman would go into hiding for 6 months and let Obama see what killing the golden goose would entail, but instead this will be a long and drawn out death march.
America, it was fun while it lasted.
Posted by: Todd on November 4, 2008 11:15 PMYou really are a traitor, a sunshine patriot, a big ol' whiner, and a pathetic piece of crap. So much for the party of "adults" being gracious in defeat, eh?
And for the rest... if this makes you believe that the country will end, it is really laughable that you think of yourselves as real Americans. After dealing with eight years of a President that made me feel as if I didn't belong in my own country, the idea that you would all wet your pants when a Democrat was elected? You're wusses.
Posted by: demo kid on November 4, 2008 11:25 PMyou know, unseal Hawaii, Columbia, Harvard, etc....
or will we ever know?
Posted by: elmo on November 4, 2008 11:36 PMWant to meet somewhere and we can discuss it in person? Read some of the other comments - other business owners - those that make the wealth you suck - are closing down and moving out, too...
See post 40 - that's what Obama and you Slavery Party hacks will bring. The Fairness Doctrine, "hate speech" expanded to shut down those critical of your plans and policies. And actions and postings that irritate you Slavers that cannot be directly legislated against will be economically destroyed by a complicit judiciary who will allow lawsuit after lawsuit to come forward.
I do not envy Stefan for the coming legal nightmares on this forum; he will soon have to make a decision between staying economically alive and keeping this blog alive.
I am a patriot, but I'm also a soldier, and rule number one of the battle is it is sometimes better to retreat and live, than fight and die.
I choose to live economically so I can fight again when the masses here decide this Country is worth actually saving.
In the mean time, go and try to reproduce with yourself, you traitorous liar. You and all your Marxist, loathsome, stealing murderers.
Posted by: Shanghai Dan on November 4, 2008 11:41 PMBut I'm done. You don't debate, you simply throw mud. I'm tired of your prattling, since it reflects a rather dim mind... I have better things to do with my time. (And you have some *real* communists to cozy up to.)
Posted by: demo kid on November 5, 2008 12:07 AMbut--i'm not listening to future pizzin 'n moanin about universal euro-crap health care, cap & trade suicide, 401(k) vaporizations and p.c. hate speech claims with every casual conversation; this wasn't my choice; but--i'll endure;
i'm too busy clinging to my guns; hopefully they wont also take away my religion;
my only hope is that our military is not now deflated--we always love you here back home--it's up to you to now follow your New Chief--good luck; WE are always behind you; you have an interesting path now; i dont envy you; Godspeed; (can i still say that?)
Posted by: jimmie-howya-doin on November 5, 2008 12:24 AMAt least we can pay the price now, repent and still have time for a restored nation.
It was inevitable as we just could not seem to turn around at every opportunity given us the last 40 years.
Good Parts - the World loves us! No More Racism. Whitely can't be racist anymore! is Jesse Jackson out of work?
The only question...was this the last transfer of power? Just need a pledge that all the trolls will allow elections in 2010?!!! They just exploded with laughter. I see one above already demanding the shut down of this blog. Great "Americans" you are. Putin is Proud!
Folks the gloves are on the ground this is just beginning. 1,000 thugs took to the streets of Seattle tonight to enforce the victory.
Cuba got Change as well in 1959.
Yep America, with it's freedom, chose. But that choice only gives you a man in an office. It does NOT take away our choice to contribute to this country with our ingenuity, our industry, our work ethic, our businessess.
You got exactly what you wanted.
Now go live with it.
Just know you'll have to figure out how to do it without our help.
And we want that portion of your pie that you already promised to Obambi and that he promised to us.
Posted by: Ragnar Danneskjold on November 5, 2008 12:28 AMThe blood of a few tens of millions of babies are already on your hands. Now the next 4 years are on you and your kind's heads. The markets are already falling apart because of the election, the failures from this date forward are yours to own.
Wallow in your own filth!
Posted by: Shanghai Dan on November 5, 2008 12:39 AMYou're completely correct. They petty children got what they want - now let them make it run on their own.
We've seen what their enlightened approaches have done to WA; now it will happen nationally.
I refuse to lift a single finger, nor allow a solitary dollar of mine to be used to support them at all.
They wanted to play their way, so let them. Any failures from this day forward are theirs, 100%. Theirs to own, to hold, and to live. No excuses, it's now theirs.
Posted by: Shanghai Dan on November 5, 2008 12:52 AMActually, the Marxist tag is dead on correct. Obama's words have indicted him, now let's see if he has the stones to follow his master's (Soros and Co.) orders and follow through on his words. Just an inconvenient truth the obamaphiles will need to get over in defending the indefensibile.
Keep it up fool. You prove to all just how much of a child you are. LOL
Posted by: Army Medic/Vet on November 5, 2008 07:37 AMWhen do we get all our free stuff?!
Posted by: Alphabet Soup on November 5, 2008 07:46 AMI also think McCain's speech last night was very good and gracious. It is too bad the crowd had to start out so ugly.
I will leave the post-analysis to future days. I would like to point to what Rob Dreher (Crunchy Con) wrote last night. I think his point about Jindal is right on. It will take new blood, and not the Sarah Palin's of the world that want to talk fear for the Republican Party to return to its Lincoln roots. The link is below:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=96619430
I am so glad that Obama won! The Hang Seng tanked after his election. The Shanghai Stock Exchange, the Nikkei also dropped. The FTSE and DAX were down. And the DJIA is down too.
Our Messiah's election was wonderful for the markets! His election only cost $800 billion in lost value for the world!
Our Messiah is already working; if The One cannot spread the wealth around, he will at least destroy it so the wealthy end up with the same amount as the poor!
Posted by: David Mathews Ego on November 5, 2008 08:05 AMDo you even wonder why thinking republicans (aka: Intellectual Elites) have been leaving your party en mass?
Have a nice time wandering the wilderness for the next 8 years, and by all means, PLEASE promote Sarah Palin to run in 2012. She represents what's left of your party perfectly.
Posted by: Splinter on November 5, 2008 08:19 AMSince no one else said it, let me: thank you for a very gracious statement. Your coverage made this blog worth reading.
Posted by: Zeeb on November 5, 2008 09:05 AM...apparently, my computer has a troll filter on it.
Posted by: Rick D. on November 5, 2008 11:12 AM