Yes, We Did!
As some of you know, I've stood by my assertion for months now that Barack Obama would win. Actually, my inside Chicago source said it would be a landslide, predicting victory for Obama at between 30 and 40 percent. Last time I calculated, the Electoral College gave him a 38 percent lead.
There were many doubters, and people who thought my eternal optimism might jinx it all. While I knew in my heart that we would win, several incidents in the last week convinced me that Obama might even take Florida, the one fly in my ointment. I waited 1-1/2 hours to vote on Wednesday and talked to everyone around me. Out of the seven people waiting with me (an old white man retired from Oklahoma, a Haitian couple and two German couples), it was 100 percent for Obama. A couple days later, I wore my Obama cap to the grocery store and discovered that every single person in the checkout line had already voted for Obama. On the Sunday before the election, I canvassed for Obama with three other old white women (we had a ball, by the way). We hit about 30 houses in the three hours we worked and, among those contacts, found only two people who said they were voting for McCain; everyone else had already voted or planned to vote for Obama. On Tuesday afternoon, I made calls from the house for the Obama campaign and every single person with whom I spoke had voted . . . ta da . . . for Obama. It was truly amazing.
Tuesday evening was scary at first and then exciting and then amazing. When it appeared Obama was winning, I called my friend in Amsterdam, at 5:00 a.m. his time. He was overwhelmed and happy and crying. Friends called back and forth all evening. We cheered the Grant Park speech and The Husband finally wandered off to bed, but I watched until the sun came up. Truly a day to remember.
Even a political junkie like me is exhausted. I'm too tired to even think about the last two years, other than to opine that the best man won. I am excited about his choices so far -- especially Rahm Emanuel, my all-time favorite Chicago pol. Things will get done. Maybe not the way you'd like, but they will get done.
Now the really hard part starts. As President Obama (doesn't that sound wonderful?) says, "We're all in this together; I can't do it alone." And the Mennonite part of me recognizes and acknowledges and loves that attitude. Only if we all work together can things change, resolve and improve. Onward and upward!
There were many doubters, and people who thought my eternal optimism might jinx it all. While I knew in my heart that we would win, several incidents in the last week convinced me that Obama might even take Florida, the one fly in my ointment. I waited 1-1/2 hours to vote on Wednesday and talked to everyone around me. Out of the seven people waiting with me (an old white man retired from Oklahoma, a Haitian couple and two German couples), it was 100 percent for Obama. A couple days later, I wore my Obama cap to the grocery store and discovered that every single person in the checkout line had already voted for Obama. On the Sunday before the election, I canvassed for Obama with three other old white women (we had a ball, by the way). We hit about 30 houses in the three hours we worked and, among those contacts, found only two people who said they were voting for McCain; everyone else had already voted or planned to vote for Obama. On Tuesday afternoon, I made calls from the house for the Obama campaign and every single person with whom I spoke had voted . . . ta da . . . for Obama. It was truly amazing.
Tuesday evening was scary at first and then exciting and then amazing. When it appeared Obama was winning, I called my friend in Amsterdam, at 5:00 a.m. his time. He was overwhelmed and happy and crying. Friends called back and forth all evening. We cheered the Grant Park speech and The Husband finally wandered off to bed, but I watched until the sun came up. Truly a day to remember.
Even a political junkie like me is exhausted. I'm too tired to even think about the last two years, other than to opine that the best man won. I am excited about his choices so far -- especially Rahm Emanuel, my all-time favorite Chicago pol. Things will get done. Maybe not the way you'd like, but they will get done.
Now the really hard part starts. As President Obama (doesn't that sound wonderful?) says, "We're all in this together; I can't do it alone." And the Mennonite part of me recognizes and acknowledges and loves that attitude. Only if we all work together can things change, resolve and improve. Onward and upward!
posted by Debra Hope @ 1:26 AM
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