The dust has settled, it's been a few days since Barack Hussein Obama was elected 44th President of the United States Of America, and a little over half the population are still riding on a wave of euphoria. They're talking about how, once again, they are proud of their country (how Michele Obamaesque!), and how "completely inspired" they are by the "new President-Elect and the promise of great things ahead!"; others say they're "smiling and celebrating the brightest new hope this country has had in decades!" Yes, we can be dang proud that a country, with a history of racism and other nastyisms, elected the first black president ever, and that's something to be celebrated. Had Obama been a Republican or even a moderate Democrat I would have jumped on the Barack "hope and change" bandwagon, as well. Who doesn't yearn for new beginnings? However, this was not the right African-American to have chosen to lead our country- a politician who won the dubious title of "Most Liberal Senator in 2007". Add to that his many questionable affiliations including Jeremiah Wright, William Ayers, Tony Rezko and a host of others. As much as he would like to deny those relationships, there is a slew of evidence (including videos) that contradicts those denials. Claiming he had no clue what was going on in a church he attended for 20 years (that Oprah Winfrey left after a few), proves categorically that he is either a prodigious liar or totally out of touch.I would have accepted his win with more grace and equanimity had it not been for what I consider to be the potentially fraudulent manner in which he won this election- directly and by proxy:
***We have the ACORN fiasco and all the Mickey Mouse, dead-men registered to vote. How many homeless people were bussed around the country to vote?
***We have the obscene amounts of money he spent plastering the airwaves and Internet, including a 4 million dollar vote-for-me-'cuz-I'm-going-to-save-the-world infomercial. Obama outspent McCain, by more than double, and raised and spent more funds than any other political campaign in history, 650 million dollars. What kind of precedent is that going to set? Campaign spending is already in dire need of reform. And what kind of hypocrite, claiming to be for the people, concerned about the working class and poor, allows his Kenyan aunt to live in a slum in Boston (illegally, at that), and does the following:
At a February 2007 rally in Las Vegas, Obama volunteers fanned through the crowd, gathering the names and e- mail addresses of people who could be asked for small donations again and again. Almost half of Obama's money came from people giving $200 or less.
The Obama campaign actively solicited money from working shlubs, those who could least afford it. Then, with their money, he purchased ad after ad. Everywhere you happened to look Obama's face was urging people to vote early or falsely claiming that McCain was a Bush 3rd term, and chanting his "change we can believe in" mantra. I noticed on one of his ads "Obama- President", not "Obama for President". Flash these soundbites and images in someone's face long enough, and the foolish begin to believe it. I wouldn't be surprised if there were subliminal messages in those ads.
***Then we have the iffy sources for donation monies. $300 million worth, of which Obama refuses to release the names of donors. Granted McCain had some of those, too, but far fewer than Obama. Then factor in the many individuals who donated over the $4,600 election limit who were never refunded, and the possibility of huge amounts generated from foreign donors.
***And don't forget the racial issue. Those of us who were smart enough not to be seduced by the Obama-hype, and chose to vote for McCain instead, were being labeled racists by people like Democratic Rep. John Murtha. Murtha declared that (western) Pennsylvania "could reduce Barack Obama's victory margin in the state by 4 percentage points. " Those self-same 'bitter, clinging to their guns and religion' Pennsylvanians Obama quipped about, while speaking to some affluent San Franciscan donors, actually voted for him.
Some people would like us to believe he won by a landslide, and if you count electoral votes ( an antiquated system that boggles the mind) he did; but as for the popular vote, he did NOT win by a landslide. A 3 to 6 % lead does not a landslide make.
In spite of the myriad of negatives associated with Barack Obama, he continued to be the darling of the media and the proverbial pied-piper of the Democratic Party throughout the election. The media with its unprecedented bias against McCain and its uber favorable coverage of Obama helped propel him to the top. I find this incredibly shameful.
I also blame, for the Obama win, the far right of the Republican Party who either chose not to vote for McCain or backed his campaign far too late. James Dobson of Focus On The Family, the same man who claimed Fred Thompson wasn't a Christian, initially refused to endorse McCain, although he finally did. But it was far too little too late. McCain never had a chance. He had an uphill battle from day one, trying to galvanize the base. Why would anyone else want to vote for him if so many of his own party were hesitant. Admittedly, he was not my first choice, but he was our choice, and I knew how important it was to back him, and so I did, wholeheartedly. However, considering all the challenges he faced, he did remarkably well. He should be proud.
We will survive because we have no expectations of our new president, but those on the other side are setting themselves up for monumental disappointment, if and when Obama does not, or is unable to follow through with his so-called "promises". People have been duped into thinking of Obama as some kind of Messiah, even Louis Farrakhan calls him that; they think he will change their lives, pay their mortgages and gas for their cars. This isn't going to happen folks. He's a mere human. He is NOT GOD. I just pray he doesn't mess this country up too much, and I actually even hope I have to eat my words, but in the meantime, I am going to do my best to make sure this country remains strong and free.
There are those who are disappointed that we have not embraced their 'savior' with open arms, but after 8 years or being bashed and vilified and forced to remain in the political closet, do they really think we would join hands and sing kumbaya Obambi has risen? Be real. I will attempt to be less vitriolic and mean-spirited than they were. I won't call for "Impeach Obama/Biden" for ludicrous reasons, but I will keep his feet to the fire if he tries to take away my freedoms, or attempts to hijack this country down the road to Socialism. You can count on that.
In the meantime, unlike many on the other side who have wished ill on Bush and others, I wish Obama the best. I hope he does try to reach across the aisle and create unity, as he has claimed he would, though never has done as a Senator. I'm now actually glad we didn't win, because at least for the next four years, we won't have to put up with the blame-game. Then again, I'm sure they will find something to blame on us.
Good luck President-Elect Obama, you will need it,
20 comments:
Conservatives need to be vigilant and keep Obama and biden under the microscope. We also need to look to the future and try to pick up the pieces. One person to look at is Bobby Jindal,he is a young conservative with a laundry list of accomplishments and has a good shot at 2012.
way to let it all out incog!!!!!... a couple of things. first i would say it was tough for a conservative base to warm to someone who seemed never to warm to them. second, no need for obama to be that unifier huh. he has a friendly congress to work with. who does he have to unify.. ooops i have something else. the first part of your peice brought out, like i will make a point of in a future post myself,(shameless plug) the truth his election was all about race!!!.... oh and love the picture!!
I wanted to thank you for your thoughtful and respectful comment you left on my blog.
I reiterate, my post was about how I was forced to remember that I (and my liberal minded friends) are alone in our post-election euphoria, that it is pompous to assume everyone is happy and that I have perhaps been a hypocrite to assume that I could be the one to cross party lines and be respectful of different views. No offense to closet Republicans meant and hopefully none taken.
The yard sign issues probably vary from area to area - on my street that is dominated by elderly, white, conservative couples, these are the people who were removing their signs early on as they became more resolved to a McCain loss. I wasn't that sure that he would lose - for me, the results were a pleasant surprise. They find yard signs unsightly and it has been hinted that I remove mine - which I will do, out of respect for my neighbors.
And maybe, I concede - that the election came down to race at the end. Certainly, there are people who voted for Obama because of his AA heritage as well as people who didn't vote for him because of it (my dad is one of those). For them, it had nothing to do with party affiliation - just skin color. And that's just sad. Voting should be based on passions such as yours and such as mine - passions that you have stated so eloquently here.
I don't think luck is what is needed for OUR future president as much as sensibility and sensitivity. Let's see what the future unfolds.
Respectfully, Susie
When the American people elected a man without strength of character, it said more about Americans than it did about the candidate.
But you are correct that the American people will need to watch carefully what is going on in the O/B presidency. He has already named Jamie Gorelick (of all people) to a cabinet position ... the woman responsible for 9/11 IMO.
Since Obama has no experience, he will rely on these same Clinton leftovers to tell him what to do. Naturally, Obama lacks the character to refute anything they may tell him.
As the Navy Captain once announced to his crew: stand by for heavy rolls fore and aft.
I think the main factor that gave the election to Obama was the race issue. Not because people didn't want to be thought of as racists, but instead, as I said in my analysis of the election...
I contend that the factor that cost McCain those missing votes in the safe parts of his base is that some people saw the election not so much as a contest between Democrats and Republicans -- or a contest between Barack Obama and John McCain -- as a referendum on the question "Is America ready for its first black president?"
It's not racism -- not exactly -- to get caught up in the excitement of participating in a historic event like electing the first black president.
we will bounce back Incog!..lets stick together!
McCAInPALIN: I agree.. we need to start grooming someone for 2012, regardless of how well Obama does or doesn't do.
PATJ: Will look forward to reading the piece, Peej. You're right there's no-one left to reach out to. He's already showing his colors by picking an aide (ahm Emanuel) who apparently is a higly partisan, rough individual.
SUSIE: It's just that the Dems have never been respectful before, so I hope you can understand why we would still be licking our wounds and hesitant to take that hand. I have many negative memories of conservative bashing in a crowd of colleagues who did not know my politics. and on the few occasions I have been outed as a Republican, I have been shouted at and ridiculed.
We also see a very different Obama than you do, so that is another factor to consider.
As for your old neighbours taking down their signs pre-election.. *that* I blame on the shameful mainstream media (and polls) that had the country thinking Obama had it in the bag. They probably didn't bother to vote, either. Exactly what the media had in mind, I'm sure.
I just wish Obama wasn't as radical as I happen to see him. I would be much happier about the outcome if it were not for that.
MUSTANG: I think it says a little about both. I was totally extremely disappointed that they allowed themselves to fall for all his B.S.
Will have to check out Jamie Gorelick. Now he's chosen Emanuel.. I thought he was a blue dog dem, but looks like he is highly partisan and incredibly rude. We shall see what happens.
I'm not sure I agree, though, that the country isn't heading center-left. I have been on non-political forums and many are asking what's so wrong with socialism.
Mustang... that last part was meant for BigLEEH
BIGLEEH: Read your analysis and commented there..as I inadvertently posted in the comment to mustang "I'm not sure I agree, though, that the country isn't heading center-left. I have been on non-political forums and many are asking what's so wrong with socialism" I do think that some people probably did vote because of the historical significance, but it's not a good enough reason to vote for someone.
WOMAN: INdeed we will.
He won because, to me McCain was the wrong person from the start. Go back 6 years ago, McCain was against the republican party most of the time, and even voted with the democrats the majority of the time. Conservatives remembered this, then he is elected and the republican candidate, to run against the democrats. The dem was not going to vote for him and most of the republican party did want to vote for him. Then you had this 'lets make history' running in the media. Add to this McCains weak performance during the election, this man had no fire, no spunk, I thought he forgot that the was in the election. Mix all this together with the obama media and you have the new President Elect = Obama.
Incognito... Thanks for reading my take on the election. Here are my responses to your observations:
"I'm not sure I agree, though, that the country isn't heading center-left. I have been on non-political forums and many are asking what's so wrong with socialism"
I wasn't trying to deny that the country is drifting gradually to the left. The Republicans have spent the last ten years fighting among themselves and way too many of them have wandered off into the weeds. There has been no consistent, compelling economic vision from the right and it is no wonder that people will fall for promises of tax cuts for the homeless and good paying jobs to be had building cars that run on carbon-free, green pixie dust.
What I was arguing is that there has been no sudden lurch to the left -- no sea change -- just the continuation of the gradual loss of support you would expect for a rudderless political party. Pundits who see it as a catastrophic lurch to the left will call for radical changes. Republicans, they will say, must sprout wings, walk only on their hands, and grow another head where their ass used to be (or given our current crop of pundits another ass where their head used to be.) But what Republicans need to do is to clean up their message -- especially on the economy -- make it clearer and more positive and dial back on the tone. Republicans are supposed to be the grown-ups in politics. They need to act that way.
I do think that some people probably did vote because of the historical significance, but it's not a good enough reason to vote for someone.
I think that enough people voted for the historical moment, and not for a candidate, to explain the margin of victory for Obama. Yes, it's not a good enough reason, but it is an understandable reason.
And it has the same advantage as catching the Chicken Pox. Once you've done it you don't have to do it again. We are now immune to the first-black-president meme. Been there. Done that.
FANTASTIC post, Incognito...you really say it all, and so well.
He did NOT win by a landslide and I'm getting a little tired of the media beating that dead horse.
I give this guy 2 years and the populace will be FED UP.
I guess we have to pray he doesn't do too much damage..that's the best we can hope for, but Ahmedinejad's letter congratulating him isn't a great start, nor is the fact that all he'd had to do was say "No cap gains increases" this week and he'd have corrected the stock market dive his election DID cause.
keep it up...we need to FIGHT! And GET A NEW MEDIA. THAT is the only way America will survive..an honest media, and one which stops leaking top secrets. Did you hear Rahm Emanuel was feared by Clinton for all the leaking he did in his WH? THAT scared me, too....
Terrific, sprawling response to the demonstration of mass-hypnosis leading to the Obama victory. For what else can it be seen as-- other than mass-hypnosis-- when a party votes in a man with strong political and/or spiritual ties to radicals who are the exact Left-wing equivalent of the Ku Klux Klan? Had McCain close ties to the Klan or Aryan Nation, very few Republicans would have voted for him; yet Obama's connections to radical anti-American reverends Wright and Pleger, to terrorists Ayres and Dohrn who bombed the U.S. Capitol, to criminal Tony Rezko, to radical crime-tinged organization ACORN-- these made no impact on Democrats. It is a hideous reminder of the effect of blind adherence to a demagogue, seen again and again throughout history and now, sadly, demonstated here at home.
Thanks- I needed that (your post)!
As an artist in the Asheville, NC area it is always assumed that I am a liberal.
Since there was so much negativity going on - and artists sure don't do well with that; I started a blog called- A Positive Reflection.
However, I still require to keep my nose in the (next) race and do what I can to promote our conservative cause as creatively as possible.
Thanks again- I will follow you.
(And good luck with all you do.)
The Dems have it all now. They can't blame Bush for hurricans and gas prices. Now they can just go look in a mirror. I only hope they don't do so much damage that it takes years and years to repair.
Actually they will blame everything that goes wrong during his time in office on Bush. BDS is so ingrained in the left that it'll get accepted without question.
MADHATTER: Wrong or not (my 1st choice was Rudy) he got nominated, and for Republicans not to vote for him was very shortsighted. The social consevatives who stayed at home to spite the party are going to balk when Obama brings in all those liberal judges. Not my fault.
BIGLEEH: agreed.. it is has been gradual.. but that's exactly how it works.. sadly. I am thinking that Obama is going to be on his best behaviour, bi-partisan, to ensure he gets re-elected in 2012 and then we might see a lurch to the left. But we shall see.
Z: Thanks m'dear. People will always want to believe he did, and I still maintain it was fraudulently won, but it's done. Yeah I had heard about Rahm... and now he might bring the Clinton's into the fold. Eek.
ZACK: There's always been a double standard with the left. It truly is amazing that none of those ties mattered to half the US population.
CONSTANCE: Nice to see another conservative artist... there aren't that many of us. I love Asheville.. and having been there I can only imagine what a challenge it must be.
PAMELAHART: Like VEGASATGUY says, they will probably somehow blame Bush for whatever goes wrong in the Obama administration. It's as insane as some of the theories that Bush casued the levees to break in New Orleans with Katrina.
Very well said Incog, I totally agree. We will criticize Obama on the issues and his actions we feel are wrongheaded, but we WILL NEVER call Obama worse than Hitler (and certainly not McChimpy), or side with terrorists, dictators and 'enemy' countries over OUR President.
Conservatives must try to influence the President with sensible debate and persuasion. The main reason the Left is so vicious is because the so-called 'Progressive' ideology is bankrupt at its core, and deep, deep, deep down where logic and rational thoughts dwell, I think they know it.
I want to believe that Obama won't be as bad as some people think, but I'm quite sure, that at best, he won't be as good as most people hope he will be.
I wish this site had come out earlier, I had some Obamabot friends finding out that they had big differences with Obama's positions:
http://www.barackobamatest.com/
Years ago I was knocked off the voting rolls here in this very Blue City when I was a Republican, on this election day I found out I was knocked off as an Un-Affiliated. Next time I should register as a Democrat, maybe I won't get knocked off then.
The biggest dangers come from the Left anyway, so my votes in this Blue State's closed primaries would be more important there.
Telling Moonbats I'm a Democrat would stop some in their tracks too, maybe making it easier to chip away at the false veneer of so-called 'progressivism'.
Let's hope he does well, at least not too badly, with the least amount of despair possible. May God Bless and help guide President Obama. And may God Bless and help save America! Keep the faith!
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absurd thought -
God of the Universe hates
history either way
America WILL survive
we MUST still fight for freedom
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absurd thought -
God of the Universe says
ELECT socialism
let the young people see
survive the false promises
.
creating MORE jobs
will spread NEW wealth around
- it is NOT finite
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absurd thought -
God of the Universe says
give up the search for truth
stop trying to show people
how the world really works
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absurd thought -
God of the Universe says
Bush was worse than Hitler
and Stalin and Mao
and Castro combined
.
All real freedom starts with freedom of speech. If there is no freedom of speech there can be no real freedom.
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POTUS-Elect BHO Thrills Earth!
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Help Halt Terrorism Today!
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USpace
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:)
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USPACE: Great idea about registering as a Dem. And I hope you're right about O. I actually think he will play it center for the next four years to ensure he gets elected for a 2nd term and that's where he will institute all his change. And I do truly hope that he does well. I'd love nothing more than to eat my words.
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