Tuesday, November 4, 2008

Election

It's election day, and it looks like my team will win. I am greatly relieved and also a bit concerned.

I remember when Jimmy Carter was elected in 1976. I voted for him, with gusto, just as I had voted for McGovern in '72. Election night, Carter's victory was such a relief after Nixon and Ford! Ultimately, of course, it didn't turn out to be all that we had hoped for--between the economic woes and the Iran hostage situation, it was a hell of a time. Still, that moment in time when Carter was declared the victor felt damned good.

8 years ago, I was in California on business on election day. I went to bed thinking that Gore had probably won, and woke up to find that nothing about the election was clear. That lack of clarity went on for 3 weeks, with hanging chads and the über-bitchy Florida Secretary of State, until the Supreme Court decided the whole election for us, and not, in my opinion, in our favor. The past 8 years have been an ongoing nightmare with Bush and Cheney: the amazingly appalling choices they made have done more damage than any of us could have imagined.

I don't envy Mr. Obama the many tasks that lie ahead. But I'm hopeful, which feels a bit strange after a very long period of hopelessness and haplessness. God bless us, everyone.

3 comments:

Jeff said...

You are right that the US and the world will be a much different place with President Obama. Let's hope that history does not repeat itself from the Carter era.

In my voting history, I have voted for many more republican candidates for President than democrats. Yesterday, I thought that Obama and the democrats deserved their chance at change, and expressed that with my vote.

Our country deserves better than the past administration...

Edie Freedman said...

Glad to hear you joined our team this time around. May Obama prove to be what we all hope he will be.

lucyfree said...

Edie, you are a good writer and I enjoy your random and sensible thoughts. Just read the last four or five and felt very agreeable with all you say.
And I'm sorry you were sick!
Hooray that we don't have to live through another term of complete hypocrisy and madness.
one love,
Lucy