Commentary

Captain Obama Takes the Helm

I am very glad that Democrat Barack Obama won the presidential election yesterday, defeating his Republican rival, John McCain. I read a slew of articles today from the major papers – both left and right. My thoughts are a meaty stew of emotion at the moment ( I’m sorry for that last bit about stews – I’m a little hungry right now). I will say this, though: Obama represents a chance for America to scrub itself clean after literally decades of wallowing in the filthy tub of indulgence. We have absolutely no need for empty rhetoric spewed from the thin lips of shallow fools. We do, however, need someone who can think clearly and lead selflessly.

This is why Obama earned my vote. He’s not a GOD DAMNED SUPERHERO!! He’s not an instant cure. In my view, he not only offered a clearer vision, he did so in a way that gave me confidence in his abilities (please, note that I said confidence and not hope). He did not say that he was an infallible being born of some Biblical fairy tale. And, he made it clear that he would listen when people disagree with him.

Obama is taking the helm of a high-speed crazy big cruise ship that’s just entered a giant, nasty storm. America’s course was chosen before this election by a captain and crew that was drunk on self-righteousness yet starved of a sense of decency. Now, Obama has to steer America through this mess with the help of a new crew and the willing participation of passengers who were, until now, shopping and eating themselves to an early death on the decks below.

In summary: he’s our new captain. The ship he steers determines our fate. The old crew just left on luxury lifeboats, leaving the survivors more dependent on the vessel’s survival than ever. We may get pissed at the new captain, but we can’t just leave, or worse, work against his honest efforts to save the floating mall that we all know and love.

OK, I apologize for traveling so far out there to make my point – what the hell was I just talking about? Oh, yes, we have a new president. And he says he’s very willing and quite able. But, he also says he’s human and that he needs our help. I’m going to give him a chance and promise him an earful if he goes back on his word. I suggest you do the same.

Here are some useful facts that will help people who voted for Barack Obama when defending themselves against the bunker-dwelling Republican base.

From the Washington Post:

Obama became the first Democrat since Jimmy Carter in 1976 to receive more than 50 percent of the popular vote, and he made good on his pledge to transform the electoral map.

He overpowered McCain in Ohio, Florida, Virginia and Pennsylvania — four states that the campaign had spent months courting as the keys to victory. He passed the needed 270 electoral votes just after 11 p.m. with victories in California and Washington state.

Obama ultimately won in Indiana, bringing his electoral college total to 349, while McCain won Montana, bringing his total to 163 electoral college votes. The outcome in North Carolina and Missouri remained uncertain.

In a sign that Obama’s race did not hold him back, he won as large a share of the white vote as any Democrat in the past two decades, although he still fell short of a majority. Preliminary exit polls showed him winning among 43 percent of white voters, while Sen. John F. Kerry won 41 percent in 2004 and Vice President Al Gore won 42 percent in 2000.

Obama won 60 percent of self-described moderates, who had once formed the core of McCain’s support.

Obama appeared to have made huge gains among Hispanic voters, earning about two-thirds of their support, according to exit polls. He also captured 95 percent of black voters. Obama also won a majority of women and took the support of 49 percent of men.

McCain appeared to have performed more poorly than his GOP predecessors, especially among young people. He earned about 30 percent of voters aged 18 to 29; in 2004, Bush captured 45 percent of that group.

It’s also good to know exactly how much was spent by both Republicans and Demopcrats during the 2008 election. Here’s more from the Washington Post:

By mid-October, Obama had reported raising nearly $600 million, including a record-shattering $150 million in September. Combined with money the Democratic National Committee spent during the general election, he spent nearly $745 million on his primary and general election campaigns.

The combined spending figure for McCain and the Republican Party was nearly $450 million by mid-October.

So, I exited the polls yesterday without the urge to run home and shower. That is a major milestone for me. Yesterday’s election was historic in nature – who honestly thought even just a few years ago that Americans would send a black man to the White House? That is exceedingly important, and everyone is writing about it. But, it was historic for me on a personal level; I finally pulled the lever for someone I felt good about, as opposed to the candidate who was least repulsive. Please tell me what you think of yesterday’s election, I really would like to know.

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© 2008 Splendid Marbles.