Wow (or whew)

It probably comes as no surprise that I am a bit of a political junkie (I don't know, I just seem that way to me!). Rushing home from teaching a class, I flipped between the major networks to see who would call it first. I always do this for elections, listening for the spin, the bias, the over the top metaphors that each network uses to describe the event.

One of the strangest was listening to the BBC pundits going at it, with a somewhat bewildered Ted Koppel amongst them - he didn't say anything for the few moments I watched. He just sat there as the token Yank, maybe wondering whatever happened to his career.

The speeches were the highlight for me - I expected Obama to be eloquent. And thank you CNN for shutting up for the entire walk around Obama and his family did when the speech was finished. I thought, good for you, just let it happen, the pictures and sound are enough (I quick flipped to the other networks, where they blathered on like sports channel colour commentators - it cheapened the whole thing.)

McCain was the surprise. It was probably the best concession speech I have heard. True humility, grace and a ton of class. Who the hell was this guy and what did you do with the other guy? You know, the tongue wagging, sarcastic, grimacing son-of a bitch? Why didn't they let the humble classy guy run?

Yeah, I am all starry-eyed and hopeful even with the realization that the U.S. economy is in the toilet (and we are following the whirlpool down), even with two wars that make no sense, and seemingly have little hope of ending, even with knowing that to stay in power Obama will have to move toward the center, and he may be more conservative than some might think - even with all that, it was a helluva night, and its going to be a helluva next four years.

God bless 'em.

Comments

[Fran Friel]

*breathes deep sigh of relief*

[craig]

damn straight - me too!