Tuesday, November 4, 2008

YES HE DID!!

14 comments:

Bowler said...

Woo-hoo!

Looks like those mobs at McCain Palin rallies in Ohio and Pennsylvania were an angry minority.

Now the hard part begins, tho. Iraq, financial crisis, etc.

Red Canuck said...

It's fantastic! What an amazing scene at Grant Park. And I must admit John McCain gave a very gracious and heartfelt speech. If he had only projected this side of himself during the campaign, he might have fared better.

But you're quite right...Obama's just won the job nobody wants. No matter what he does, he can't do much worse than the last guy.

Red Tory said...

Here's hoping that he confounds the cynics and his critics on the Right. If nothing else, he's already uplifted the spirits of untold millions of people in America and around the world.

Bowler said...

RC - Yes, where was that McCain on the campaign trail? It will be interesting to see what lessons, if any, the Republicans draw from this. I predict they will say: "If only we had raised Jeremiah Wright sooner, if only we had made more robo-calls...."

I agree RT. The optics of this alone are great for the USA.

Red Canuck said...

RT - It was a bit surreal, but MSNBC had a correspondent in some small Kenyan town yesterday, and they were showing some grainy video of people dancing in the streets with joy when Obama was declared the winner.

MD said...

I tend to be a little cynical about politics, but that was a genuinely uplifting night. I still can't really believe it. The energy across America was palpable.

Some of the dowstream races were heartbreaking. Franken/Coleman will go to recount, but I think Coleman leads by >400 votes. Ted Stevens won in Alaska, as did Michelle Bachmann in Minnesota. Oh well. Obama has a daunting task ahead, and only two years to take advantage of a friendy Congress. Hopefully he'll be a new FDR rather than a new Jimmy Carter.

Red Canuck said...

Bowler - Yeah, I've been hearing some of the true wingnuts (Bay Buchanan etc.) already touting the line that McCain's mistake was not going after Obama's character more mercilessly.

IMO the GOP needs to ditch the evangelical crazies and return to small c conservatism of small governments, low taxes, low spending and staying out of the nation's social affairs (i.e. gay marriage, abortion, abstinence education etc). By doing so, they will have a chance to re-connect with centrists and independants. A good start would be to send Moosetits back to Alaska and never let her anywhere near their leadership again.

Red Canuck said...

MD - Franken is only down by 500 votes, so he's got a legitimate shot in the recount. Ted Stevens' margin is larger, and it looks like Alaskans are truly as dumb as Palin made them out to be, to vote in a convicted felon as their senate representative. Maybe they deserve both Palin and Stevens, although it's likely that the old bastard will face the ignominy of being booted out of the Senate.

MD said...

I'm not sure that Democrats will try to expell Stevens from the Senate. If the seat opens, Sarah Palin might run for his seat, and will certainly win if she does. Democratic senators might end up launching her national political career. God help us.

BTW, another close race in your neck of the woods may go to recount. Darcy Burner is presently losing, but by under 1000 votes. Its 50% to 50% last I checked.

Bowler said...

They were speculating on CNN that Palin might appoint herself to be the temporary senator from Alaska if Stevens is expelled. Apparently the Governor makes the appointment.

Red Canuck said...

Bowler - Rachel Maddow said that by law, the guv cannot appoint herself to fill a vacant senate seat. She can however, resign, which would leave the Lieutenant governor free to appoint her. Apparently, it's only ever been done once before, in the 1930's.

Red Canuck said...

MD - I don't think the Dems should base their decision re: Ted Stevens on what Moosetits may or may not do. Besides, if recent history is any guide, failed VP nominees have not exactly had a sterling record in subsequent presidential runs. The Dems in the senate should just do the right thing and boot Stevens' corrupt ass out if he is shameless enough to actually show up.

Bowler said...

Ha! Trust Rachel Maddow more than CNN, that's for sure.

I don't get MSNBC - I pay too much for cable and watch too much TV as it is, better just to get snippets from your blog and Red Tory.

Whatever the mechanics of it, I would not be surprised to see Palin replace Stevens. The base of the Republican party wants her to lead, and she badly needs some experience and teaching on national issues and foreign policy, which she might get in the Senate, assuming she has the capacity to learn.

Red Canuck said...

Bowler - I was pleasantly surprised to find that my cable package included MSNBC. I don't have the "top" package, which includes the movie networks, so I don't get HBO/Bill Maher. I guess I can't have everything...