There’s a common theme after elections that goes like this: “Now the bloviating begins.” As if bloviating were a bad thing.
Here’s an alternate perspective: An election represents an enormous data-dump for the American Laboratory of Democracy and Culture, and we process that data by thinking about it, talking about and creating hypotheses about it. That many of those those hypotheses (“lessons learned”) will turn out to be wrong shouldn’t surprise or silence us.
That process is well underway here in the neighborhood.
But before we get to the political stuff, here are three quick bites of sweet normalcy to whet your appetite for a return to matters that don’t involve dueling attack ads:
- Becky has great pictures from a 17-mile bike ride from Monterey Bay to Carmel.
- Your Thanksgiving homework: A practice chicken! To the kitchen with Heather!
- Don’t miss your chance to be part of Pecha Kucha Night!!!
Thank you, Becky, Heather and the Pechua Kucha organizers, and with that out of the way, on to politics…
FROM THE HAPPY PEOPLE
Charleston Moves sees great hope for improvements in transportation and planning during Obama’s presidency:
Pam’s day-after features an account of a lab meeting and some great American poetry.
Here’s what I learned from the election (No. 1: The big split isn’t liberal v. conservative, it’s young v. old).
And Saphyre Rose, a frequent supporter of conservative ideals, makes no apologies for voting for Obama. But she’s more concerned right now about what she’s seeing expressed online:
If the tone of those who wrote their “comments” is any example, I hope that the Secret Service is protecting Obama and watching every building around the Capital during the inauguration.
I don’t trust racist rednecks…or any rednecks for that matter.
FROM THE UNHAPPY PEOPLE
Mark Jones has been in better moods:
Now that the first ever American Idol presidential election is over and the United States has decided (due to a massive Bush hangover) to turn toward European-style socialism, here are some reading suggestions that may help steer some of our citizens to an alternative way of thinking.
His suggestions? Brave New World, 1984, Atlas Shrugged, The Declaration of Independence, The Constitution and The Federalist Papers.
MojoSteve declares it “The Time of Great Suckage” and catalogs just about every right-wing objection ever offered to Obama’s candidacy, along with several mournful Photoshops.
And you still voted for him. And you elected a super-majority of Democrats into Congress. And when they FUBAR this country, four years from now they’ll blame-shift every single failure on their part solely on the previous administrations’ shoulders, telling you they need another four years to fix it all. Oh well; we can vote him out in four years after we wake up and experience our Buyer’s Remorse. And since this election took about two years, we may as well start campaigning now. That way we’ll be prepared when we’re so far in the toilet that the Tidy-Bowl Man will have to call Roto-Rooter to come find us based on our last known position off the starboard bow.
A nation of so many accomplishments, and sometimes we can’t even tie our own shoes.
Michele took the news hard, too.
Then I saw John’s concession speech. I couldn’t help but notice Sarah holding back tears. It’s been a long road. She has been dragged through the mud. I have no doubt that she will move forward though and do great things.
As the morning progressed, I suddenly found myself sobbing. I couldn’t help myself. I was sad for America. I can’t express the disappointment I feel that America is a place I seem to recognize less each day.
Here’s Chip’s take:
Given a choice between liberalism and quasi-liberalism, most Americans chose liberalism full-bore. I hope they learn a lesson, and the rest of us will suffer as they learn it.
New Wars Mike makes predictions about military spending in the Obama administration:
1. Cuts will be deep starting in Obama’s second year, though few major weapons systems will be canceled, but will be greatly delayed. Sadly, older weapons already long past their retirement age will have to soldier on a little longer.
2. Despite lessons learned in the Mid East wars for the need of plentiful boots on the ground, the new President will utilize an increased dependence on airpower, much as Clinton did, with a return of “cruise missile diplomacy” likely.
3. Training, readiness, and equipment replacement will all suffer under a Democrat administration.
4. Further dramatic cuts will come from a quicker withdrawal from Iraq, though the Afghan War might go on if Petraeus can guarantee the new Administration success there.
Earl Capps offers this advice to his party:
The last two times the GOP suffered staggering setbacks, in 1976 and 1992, Republicans recovered fairly quickly when they presented pro-active agendas – Reagan’s campaign messages in 1980 and Gingrich’s Contract with America in 1994 – which focused on a few very simple themes, including fiscal restraint, ethical reform and sound foreign policies. In light of this, Grover Norquist’s advice to “politely step away from the Bush presidency and say we’re going back to basics” seems wise counsel.
FROM THE HARD-TO-CLASSIFY PEOPLE
The Rev. Big Dumb Chimp doesn’t like the idea of RFK Jr. finding a place in an Obama cabinet. And he REALLY doesn’t like the way Oprah is hyping the President-Elect.
Cedar Posts remembers attending an Obama rally in Orangeberg in February 2007.
As we left the building, we shook hands and talked with Jim Clyburn and I told the congressman “this Obama guy is good” but it was this part of his speech that has stayed with me for the last 20 months:
“At every juncture in our history, there’s been somebody that’s said we can’t. There’s been somebody that’s said you can’t overcome slavery. There’s been somebody who said you can’t overcome Jim Crow.
“If I have your support, if I have your energy and involvement and commitment and ideas, then I’m here to tell you, ‘Yes we can in ’08.’ “
As we left the building I said to my wife: “I just shook hands with the next president of the United States”.
Barrack thank you for not letting me down.
But don’t get the author wrong. He’s a McCain supporter who doesn’t like what he sees on the horizon:
Change brought to us by special interest and entitlement groups the likes we have never seen before. I’m not talking Jesse Jackson, NAACP or even Al Sharpton.
I mean grassroots, it’s time we got our fair share groups, minority contractors, education groups, single parents, drug interventions, crisis assistance, housing, medicare. Welfare reform, interest free student loans and affirmative action programs the likes of which have never been seen.
And this is going to cost us taxpayers sums of money we can’t even begin to imagine.
As a result our infrastructure will crumble, our roads will be left to ruin, our military will be reduced to a fraction of it’s current size as federal revenue is diverted to bring “Change” to America.
But my absolute favorite analysis of what the election means to Obama voters and McCain voters can be found over at Eugene’s place.
AND NOW, THIS PARTING THOUGHT
From Jeff Tompkins:
It has been roughly 14 hours since the race was called for Obama. Soon, somewhere in Iowa or New Hampshire, someone will give a speech kicking off the 2012 presidential election. Keep a close eye on the news. This could occur at any moment.
Indeed.
