Election 2008-- A New Beginning?

Well, well, well...

Here we are. Another election past. Another defeat and another success. Barack Obama is now our next president, come January. And you know how I feel? The same way I've felt since the end of the Democratic primaries.

Nervous.

I myself was one of those people who thought that this year's election was the 3 for 3 in epic fails. 2000: Bush vs. Gore. 2004: Bush vs. Kerry (honestly people, was John Kerry the best we could come up with?!) 2008: McCain vs. Obama. I didn't like McCain or Obama. But I didn't strongly dislike them either. They both had their strong and weak points, but I felt as if the weak outweighed the strong. Example: John McCain-- experience political figure, strong ideas BUT he's Bush Jr. and he picked Sarah "VP Barbie" Palin for his running mate. Why oh, why? Barack Obama-- good speaker, strong leader BUT very little experience and voted absentee on most Senate bills. Not good, not trustworthy. As far as I'm concerned, both of them talked a lot and said very little.

So, as far as I'm concerned, this election was like choosing between two bowls of crap and the only difference between the two was the smell. (Thank you Lewis Black for giving me that graphic analogy!)

But on to my point: why I'm nervous.

This country is teetering on the slippery edge of depression. Jobs are being outsourced overseas (my own dad, a 20 year man, lost his job because of this,) the price of the dollar is plummeting, businesses are shutting down-- you get my point. And at this point, I'm not sure if it can be fixed by anyone. Neither Democrat nor Republican.

But hey, maybe I'm wrong. Barack's a smooth-talking guy with big ideas. Maybe he can get this country straight.

God, I hope so.

I mean, let's look at the positives: All three branches are now controlled by Democrats. With an African-American as president, other nations can no longer look at America as a "close-minded and racist nation." And hell, the guy might just be able to save us from depression.

My one biggest fear is that someone, somewhere might assassinate him. I hope and pray that no one is that stupid. All it would cause is utter, complete chaos. It would just cement the thought to every other country that America is a "racist nation" and I completely and wholly believe that it would cause this nation to erupt in a civil war. I know this sounds far-fetched, but I've always believed that the United States would fall, not as the result of an outside enemy, but because of civil conflict. Most great nations and empire go down that way. And withing 500 years of their conception. But that's just me being a paranoid conspiracy-theorist.

But back to the issue at hand:

The truth is that now all we can do is wait and see. Just sit back, put our hands behind our heads, and say "Okay, President Obama, whaddya got for us?" And we, as a nation, are gonna demand results fast. Not because he's "a black man" and not because he's a Democrat-- but because he is the nation's new leader. Period.

So, President Obama, I wish you none but the best! Good luck! Because I daresay that you're going to need it...as will we all...