Nov 08 2008
End of Election, Back to Work ;)
So, the election is over. I can’t let the season go by without some observations about what this historic season has left behind though. These are observations and I’m not basing this on my center-right political persuasion. As usual, I love lists so I’ll put it in that format:
- Anyone can do anything! I remember (and I don’t know who I had this debate with) a conversation about 3 or 4 years ago with a friend where we argued about equal opportunity. I maintained that in the USA, anyone can do anything regardless of where they start. This election has proven this. Not only has a large amount of responsibility been given to Obama to deliver on his promises, but now pressure has been placed on all of his supporters - the onus is on THEM to succeed. Anyone can do it, we all are equipped with the same opportunity. There are no longer any excuses. I hope that my more liberal friends who find themselves in less than perfect financial or career paths will take this example and be inspired to better their situations. With the amount of positive energy floating around, I expect everyone I know who voted Obama and all the rest of us as well to be in much better positions.
- Only one winner: Obama. I feel that this election, while historic, proves that the only winner is Obama himself. I don’t feel that the African American population will benefit as much as they should. The election of this President is an indication that we have moved past the era of affirmative action. It’s hard to argue that this is still necessary when a majority of Americans have chosen a minority candidate. I am happy that a minority president has been elected - but I fear this victory will most likely open doors that will be controversial in the years to come. I would hope that Obama will take advantage of his position now to promote some other prominent and powerful African Americans - how about Cory Booker in Newark who is (a democrat) doing an admirable job straightening up the town after a corrupt administration? JC Watts (R)? Harold Ford Jr (D)?
- Another bunch of losers in this election: Women! No one seems to want to say it, but there were two female candidates for the executive branch and both were destroyed by the media. Clinton’s campaign was from the start not the media favorite. At the end of her run, she actually said that Fox News was the fairest to her. And who will ever forget the vicious attacks taken out on Gov. Palin after she was chosen to split the ticket. The women’s movement has been set back years by their own rejection of two capable candidates. I would argue the Palin example is even more devastating because shes a self-made success story, she accomplished everything herself. But I would think there are still many Clinton supporters that would agree with this analysis.
- More losers: Secular Progressives. Every ballot measure surrounding gay-rights issues was defeated. In California by 5 percent and in Florida by 2 to 1! Even Obama himself is against gay marriage. This shows me that the country still has a center-right base despite an election of a extreme liberal president. I see this as a hope for a conservative resurgence.
I guess there are many other things we can take from this… But as a Republican I’d like to see my party drop some issues and start reorganizing. Lets start talking to the centrists and lets start appealing to real world problems. I feel, the best days are ahead for the Republican Party.