Landslide

Congratulations to President-elect Obama and to the Democrats.

As it became apparent that Barack Obama was going to be elected president, I called up my step-dad to see what was on his mind. We had a long conversation about the way history seemed to be heading and during the conversation, I looked up at the TV and noticed that the Electoral College Vote count was 287 for Obama. Done deal.

When I mentioned this to Dad, a man who is a Bible-believing Methodist pastor and staunch conservative Republican who voted for John McCain as did I, he said this: "Don't you ever go to bed at night without praying for that man."

I will not. He--and we--will need it.

Comments

[Mary in CO]

Thx, Juliette. Am so sad and disappointed with the outcome of the electon. But you set me a good example.

I'll be praying for our president-elect, our Congress and our nation: esp. that they will be moved to protect the dignity and rights of all humans, from conception to natural death.

May God bless and preserve our country.

[C. Smith]

Indeed. May Barak Obama pass on when he is old, grey, and full of years.
God forbid anything happen to him, for all he did not have my vote.

[Osas]

It is a great moment for the American people, for the USA and for the World. And, last not least, for Kenya ;-).

Osas

[AME]

I'm conflicted. I wasn't over-enthused about McCain, but Obama ... yikes. And the thought of him plus an emboldened majority in congress almost has me moving my family, guns in hand, to a remote wilderness cabin to await the apocalypse. I never really pictured myself a survivalist before.

Still, I think that there is a silver lining for conservatives. If he had made it, McCain would have defined "Conservatism" for the next generation. In that sense, I'm glad it didn't happen because I never really thought of him as very conservative. Perhaps his loss will show the apparent conservative party that it's foolish to bring a lukewarm conservative to the fight against an ultra-liberal opponent.

I thought it would be closer, but the voters have spoken.

Aside: The Republicans have become slow and apathetic. GOP: 2008 is your wake-up call! Next time don't allow the liberal media to choose your candidate for you. Give us an actual conservative and you'll win in a landslide.

[wayne]

Juliette, I have a lot of prayers for this country, its future, and all of the people who are going to be the target for their "selfishness".

I deeply and desparately hope that I am wrong about what is about to happen. I have felt like I was a less-than eloquent, lousy, Jeremiah (the prophet not the pastor!) for the last 6 months about Mr. Obama and Ms. Pelosi and what thier takeover would bring and obviously like eveyone else who worked so hard to tell people, I failed utterly.

The most frustrating part of this mess was that it seemed like I was the only person on earth who listened to the whole 2001 interveiw with Obama and realized what he was talking about.

Maybe I am a racist. I don't think so but being white I can't put myself in the shoes of those who aren't white so perhaps my not recognizing my racism - and my own debt - is the problem.

However I am still apalled that it seems like I am the only one who tried to point out that the whole conversation about "redistributive justice" and the failures of the Constitution in restricting the powers of government was predicated on and an expansion of the subject of reparations (reparative redistribution).

No one noticed. No one listened to it all. No one reported it. Where was the media as even talk radio ignored it? Am I crazy that I swear that I heard it as clear as day? How would people react if they new this was part of the plans for the future. I know that I heard people in the black community here talk repeatedly about Obama's promise to give them back what they were owed (without using the "R" word - but the meaning was certainly clear).

What will be a year from now?

[Prof. Festus X.]

"Don't you ever go to bed at night without praying for that man."

I can't tell you how many times that phrase has run through my head in the last few hours. I'm positively pixelated over Obama's victory, I'm fearful for our country, and I want to build a fortress to protect my family. But your father's words have literally put tears in my eyes as I've realized that praying for Obama is my Christian duty. God bless you and your father. Hug him for me, please.

[uptownsteve]

What will you black conservatives tell your grandchildren?

When the first black American was running for President and eventually won, you gleefully gave your vote to a senile old fart and an Alaskan redneck?

[baldilocks]

"What will you black conservatives tell your grandchildren?"

Do you really want to know, Steve? Or do you merely want to sling age-discriminatory and racial epithets? Because if it is simply the latter, you can continue your "celebration" elsewhere.

[Chris]

Hmm, hateful spite and gloating in victory from the left, and humility and forbearance in defeat from the right. Shocking.

[uptownsteve]

"Do you really want to know, Steve"

Yes, I really do.

[mnotaro]

Wow, thanks for the enlightening advice...your dad sounds like a smart and spirtual guy. I am sad this morning...I feel weighted, heavy, fearful. But you're right-the bible says to pray for ALL of our leaders of this country...and that means regardless if they are left wing liberal illuminati or right wing conservative.

[AME]

uptownsteve, are you able to rephrase the question without the hyperbolic indignity?

[Account Deleted]

Steve, here's my best guess what black conservatives will say:

"At all times we voted our conscience."

Will you be able to say the same?

[uptownsteve]

"At all times we voted our conscience."

RIIIIGHT.

And Palin was totally qualified to assume the office of President if McCain faltered.

Sell it to Hannity.

"Will you be able to say the same?"

Unequivocally.

Listen up Black righties.

One of my friends sent this to me this morning.

"My tears have washed away the wounds I have endured as a Black man in a country called America. I have always believed in America when America did not believe in me. I thought my pain and wounds were shared only by people who looked like me, thought like me and cried like me. I am not alone I was never alone. I opened my eyes and my heart and realized a Black man could not be the president of our nation alone.

Today for the first time in my life I answer to those who call me an American not a Black American but an American.

FREE AT LAST..FREE AT LAST..FREE AT LAST ..THANK GOD ALMIGHTY I AM FREE AT LAST......."

[baldilocks]

"RIIIIGHT."

Well, if you refuse to believe what i would post, if you refuse to listen and at least try to understand, why should I bother explaining it to you?

By the way, hon, I'm glad you're happy about the outcome of the election. What I am puzzled by is this: why would you think we wouldn't be?

[uptownsteve]

If you are happy about the election's outcome, that's great.

This is a significant moment not just in American politics but in the story of humanity.

But let's face it.

Other black Republicans are crapping a squealing worm.

They bought into Karl Rove's notion that the rightwing would be the dominant presence in American politics for another generation and the black Republicans would reap major benefits for being the black messengers of farright demogoguery.

All that's over now.

There are only so many spots for black hosts on Fox TV.

[baldilocks]

"They bought into Karl Rove's notion that the rightwing would be the dominant presence in American politics for another generation and the black Republicans would reap major benefits for being the black messengers of farright demogoguery."

Are you sure that this is what black conservatives did? Or is that merely your conclusion as to the motives of black conservatives? If that's your personal conclusion, I'd like to know how you arrived at it. List your *provable* premises.

I'm not happy about the election results. I'm happy that you're happy about it. And I'm happy for many of our older citizens who lived to see this. What I'm praying is that your happiness doesn't turn to regret. Seriously. I'd love to be proven wrong about Obama. We would all benefit from that error. And by "we," I mean all Americans.

[uptownsteve]

"What I'm praying is that your happiness doesn't turn to regret."

Well the amazing thing is that you don't seem to "regret" the mess caused by almost total rightwing domination of the government for 6 of the last 8 years.

[MTheads]

We won't really be united as a country until we stop discriminating against red-necks and elect one into the White House. Only then can we say it's truly possible for any American to become president. ;)

[baldilocks]

"Well the amazing thing is that you don't seem to "regret" the mess caused by almost total rightwing domination of the government for 6 of the last 8 years."

What mess are you referring to? I keep giving you opportunities to give me specifics. Come on. You can do it.

BTW, I have a post written to answer your original question.

[Heather P.]

Juliette, your Dad is so right on the money! We should pray for Obama to see the error of his socialist ways and only do what is best for our country!

[AME]

uptownstever: Well the amazing thing is that you don't seem to "regret" the mess caused by almost total rightwing domination of the government for 6 of the last 8 years.

By what metric has the right totally dominated the government during this period?

Seriously.

I can't say that I've agreed with anything you've said here, but usually I can tell where you are coming from.

[james in bklyn]

seems that all uptownsteve can do is be meanspirited and bash others who don't agree with his philosophical and political viewpoint. how third grade.

"you're stupid, no you're stupid, no you!" ugh

you must have missed that part hi Obama's victory speech about bringing people together eh?

as a teacher in brooklyn (and probably only republican in the entire school) i had a more intelligent conversation with my 9th grade students on monday and today about the election where both sides present their viewpoints intelligently and rationally without name calling, finger pointing, and bashing those who disagree with you, than you seem to be able to have here.

how old are you again?

my fiance, 100% brooklynite, pretty conservative, independent voting black woman couldn't bring herself to vote for Barack based on her knowledge of the issues. Lord knows I sure as hell can't tell her what to think LOL

she sees the historical importance of his election as a major moment in history while at the same time being rather unnerved at what many of his policies could bring. I am sure that she will say that she voted her conscience.

baldilocks, can't wait to read your response....i know it will be eloquent, well thought out, rational, and non-hateful....just like you are.

too bad we can't hope the same from some ungrateful winners

[james in bklyn]

oh yeah, and ill definitely be praying for the President as well

[uptownsteve]

Baldilocks,

You can't be serious.

The lie to go to war.

The escalation of terror worldwide due to our incursion into Iraq and Afghanistan.

The tanking economy.

Record foreclosures. Job losses.

The budget deficit our grandchildren will be paying for.

Lost American prestige in the world..

The devaluation of the American dollar abroad.

Saber rattling by Iran, North Korea and Venezuela.

Loss of civil liberties here at home.

Government tolerance of torture.

[baldilocks]

Yes, hon. I am serious. This is what's call 'having a conversation.' And if you're going to come here and address points that I discussed years ago and expect me to address them again, you're going to have to give in also.

"The lie to go to war."

What lie are your referring to? (Keep in mind that a 'lie' is an assertion which the speaker/writer knows to be false.)

"The escalation of terror worldwide due to our incursion into Iraq and Afghanistan."

What is your issue with that escalation?

"The tanking economy."

"Record foreclosures. Job losses."

That belongs to your side.

"The budget deficit our grandchildren will be paying for."

Agree about that. And it's because the republicans abandoned their principles to win instead of convincing others to follow.

"Lost American prestige in the world.."

If America's so-called prestige is lost, then why is everyone trying to immigrate here?

"The devaluation of the American dollar abroad."

A result of a stance against free trade, some Obama is against.

"Saber rattling by Iran, North Korea and Venezuela."

What's wrong with that? Spell out your assumptions.

"Loss of civil liberties here at home."

Which civil liberties have been lost?

"Government tolerance of torture."

I'm on the fence about water-boarding on terrorists.

BTW, being wrong about some things does not a 'mess' make.

[Tully]

uptownsteve, are you able to rephrase the question without the hyperbolic indignity?

Asked and answered.

[Osas]

All Americans have a reason to celebrate and to rejoice. Not just people of colour (ahem, I just like Philip Ochieng', shall not call Obama "black"), but everybody.

Kenyans have just been given an unexpected national holiday this Thursday; goats and bulls shiver in fear thus ;-).

The rest of the World is happy too.

Ah, one word about the two speeches:

- John McCain's speech (the peculiar formalized ritual that American expect as a "concession") was dignified and honourable. More, it was noble. This man was and is definitely not a "senile old fart", as uptownsteve attacked him (though I admit that his childish grimacing at some past occasions was not really what one would expect from a statesman).

- Barack Obama's speech was more, far more. It was a deeply theologically dyed (just look at the makarisms!), a very future- minded, and at the same time incredibly traditional political speech, taking up and at the very same time transforming the unique American belief (superstition) of "manifest destiny", embracing and fulfilling the legacy both of the Civil Rights Movement and of the Founding Fathers.
The rhetoric was among the most outstanding, and most moving in the English language that I have ever been graced to hear. Only comparable with the best and mightiest speech of Martin Luther King.

I shall also pray - for him, and for a now redeemed and re-found USA, for a light that dispells the darkness of the last 8 evil years.

Osas

[THE EL]

Wow its really HOT in here today. Oh well, as I said a few weeks ago

21st Century campaign vs. 20th Century campaign

and that's not gloating, it has been repeated now even on Fox News.

what I do hope and PRAY that comes out of this election is not the critical rants about Socialism, "paling around with radicals", and all the stuff that seems to surface on this and other sites.

Let's unite, learn and listen to each other so that your prayers and your step dads prayers reach to my 3 young daughters and all children of our great country.

[baldilocks]

Dad's just following the idea that Christians should pray for their leaders.

And it's not up to him to teach your children to pray. That's your job. Dad's prayers are meant to reach one destination alone: God's "ear."

[baldilocks]

Oh and about this:

"what I do hope and PRAY that comes out of this election is not the critical rants about Socialism, "paling around with radicals", and all the stuff that seems to surface on this and other sites."

IMO, it would be smarter to hope and pray that the tenets of socialist and radical ideology don't surface in a certain person's administration. That would affect your children exponentially more than what I post here.

[THE EL]

man, you're consistent that's for sure.

[THE EL]

Man,

You're consistent, that's for sure.

Peace

[baldilocks]

LOL! Thanks for noticing.

[DarkStar]

I remember listening to a radio talk show hosted by Janet Parshall. It was during Clinton's terms in office. She had a segment on her show one day instructing listeners that the Bible says to pray FOR Bill Clinton so that he would change his personal ways and political beliefs instead of praying for DESTRUCTION OF Bill Clinton.

The fact she felt compelled to do that, deeply disturbed me.

Reading the comments on this post, other blogs, and listening to comments on talk radio, I'm feeling the same way again.

If you believe Obama is bad, and you believe in God, don't you believe that God can use bad to bring about good and if that happens, it is His design?

[baldilocks]

We're all bad, Darkstar.

[Celtic Dragon]

As a non-Christian conservative, I have NO religious compulsion to pray for the President-Elect, and won't. I WILL pray to my gods for their protection for the country that I love, from foreign enemies, and its own leaders.

Better than that, I can't and won't do...

[DarkStar]

I realize that is the case Baldi, although not all are not forgiven.

[baldilocks]

Ok, then I don't understand your question.

[Cara]

I enjoy this site so much! And I too will pray for Obama, that he makes the right decisions and that he becomes the man he told us he could be!

I voted McCain for many reasons and hope the nation made the right decision. I cried when I found out the results. Part of me is tempted to be as partisan and factional as our fellow Americans on the left have been and attribute policy disagreements to the evil nature of the opponents, but most of me wants to break this cycle. We shall see. If Obama can lead without attributing monstrous aims to his opponents, I will follow that lead.

Oddly, I was strangely happy when Obama said his sweet daughters would get their puppy. It put a loving, daddy gloss on the man.

[Osas]

What was rather unexpected and impressive, was Condoleezza Rice's genuine display of inner movement and joy in her post-election endorsement of Obama.

Many were surprised, so was I. The short video clip of this improvised press statement (see at CNN), and her breaking voice were an impression to behold. And her subdued smiles whenever she mentioned Obama, broke through the composed mask and brittle voice again and again.

Osas

[DarkStar]

OK, here it is another way. Even if Obama may bring harm to the country, it could be God's design so that the country, or more in the country, will return to Him or be more outspoken for Him or that He will put in place a person who will lead the country in the right direction.

After Clinton, I remember some people saying that Clinton was needed to get a "Christian like Bush" as president.

[notropis]

DarkStar,

I think I get your point, and it's a sort of deep theological one, but one I share (if I'm getting you right.)

יהוָה צְבָאֹות -- "Lord of Hosts" as it's usually translated -- has some deep implications about how God works on a national and international scale, and it's often way beyond our ability to comprehend. God's used some really evil people in the past to accomplish his designs, if we're to believe the Old Testament.

So when I pray for the president (any president), I try to keep it to a more generic "Thy will be done" sort of sentiment.

But that's just me.

[IronMike]

Am I the only one here that is more upset that Michelle Obama will be the first lady than Barack Obama will be the President?

[Phelps]

Uptownsteve, what are you going to say to children who have never lived in a world without black and white presidents that you not only voted for a man simply because of the color of his skin... but that you tried to intimidate people who didn't?

[Osas]

Darkstar and Notropis make an interesting point, though one I am not quite comfortable with.

I am uneasy, e.g., with justificatory theologies of history that seek to "explain" the Shoah as a ruse of God so that Eretz Israel could finally be created.
Nor am I very happy with an explanation that some demiurg ordained the eight dark years of Bushism ("crime and shame"), so that Obama could and would be finally elected. Because that is what your explanatory attempts really would come out to, unbeholden to yourself ;-).

Osas

[DarkStar]

Notropis, you understand.

[notropis]

"way beyond our ability to comprehend"

osas, in spite of whatever incredibly elevated views of your own intellect you might hold, and regardless of how justified you might be to hold them, I was including you in the "our."

[Osas]

I am going back my comment from 2:51 AM, concerning Condoleezza Rice. Intrigued, I searched a bit and was surprised; she actually seems consistent in her esteem for Obama since at least 25th February 2007:

WASHINGTON (AP) — Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice finds Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama appealing and says it won't be much longer before race isn't a barrier to becoming president.
...
"But it's less and less of a barrier to believing that that person can be your doctor or your lawyer or a professor in your university or the CEO of a company. And it will not be long, I think, before it's no longer a barrier to being president of the United States," Rice said.
...
Rice noted that Obama is a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, where the secretary often testifies.
"I think he's very appealing and a great person. He's on my committee. And we've always had good exchanges. I think he's an extraordinary person," she said.
Rice declined to say whether she thought he had enough experience, especially in foreign policy, to be president.
"Oh, I'm not going to make that choice. The American people are going to make that choice," she said.

Rice was interviewed on Fox News Sunday.

Osas

http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2007-02-25-rice-obama_x.htm

[I'm a veteran]

For me, there's nothing wrong to pray to ask guidance for our president.

[ErikZ]

I'm just glad it's all over now.

Don't sweat the things you can't change, and work on the things you can.

I plan on getting more involved in local politics from now on. The Colorado elections were fascinating. :)

Record foreclosures

I disagree Baldilocks. If it happened on their shift, then they get the lions share of the blame.

You'll be seeing this more often over the next 4 years as the Democrats will try to lay their failures at the feet of the Republicans.

They're in charge now, they'll need to man up and fix things no matter whose fault it is.

[Xpressions]

Wish I could have been happier, but I wasn't. The left-wing illuminati were not favored because I truly believe they are not ready to lead.