Thoughts on Election '08

So everything's over regarding the 2008 election (except for some recounting in Missouri and North Carolina, and a few congressional races), and now I'm trying to collect my thoughts on it.

First of all, I'm thrilled that the guy I voted for is actually in office. This is the third time I've been able to vote for president, and I voted for Nader in 2000 (although I regret not voting for Al Gore now) and Kerry in 2004. So I'm excited to be with the winning president for once!

Second of all, I'm excited that we'll have a progressive in office after 8 years of ignoring the poor, the black, the gay, the non-Christian, and everyone else. I'm hopeful that the Obama administration will treat immigrants more fairly, and I'm hopeful that we can rebuild our standing in Western Europe again.

I liked the tone that President-elect Obama set in his speech: Even though everyone else in Grant Park was exuberant, Obama set a serious, humble tone, and, unlike President Bush, acknowledged the opposition in his speech. So I hope that this new administration can make the United States united again, so that every American, Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Atheist, Buddhist, Hindu, black, white, Hispanic, Indian, Native American, Asian, gay, straight, or other, immigrant or native-born, young and old, rich or poor and whoever else, can be an integral part of America.

I'm excited that our new president is black. I live in Riverwest, which is one of the few neighborhoods in Milwaukee that's largely mixed between black and white. I think a big hindrance to solving the problems of the inner city is the fact that so many black leaders are frustrated and feel outside the system. Hopefully a black Chief Executive will at least give inner cities a voice. I think it's a hopeful sign that the Democrats owe this election to the huge black turnout: without the black vote, McCain might have won.

It's also a hopeful sign that our new president actually has a mandate. Clinton won both terms of his presidency without a 50% popular vote, as did Bush in 2000. So I'm glad that Barack Obama comes into the presidency with a clear majority and without allegations of voter fraud or disenfranchisement like in Ohio in 2004 and Florida in 2000. It's also a hopeful sign that this was the election with the highest voter turnout in 100 years. Everybody in America had a chance to speak up, and the choice was clear and fair.

I just hope that the opposition can remain loyal to the US Government. While I know that Republicans have a lot to disagree with, my wish is that everyone remains civil. Dissent is the heartbeat of a healthy democracy, so if you disagree, please speak up! I know I plan on it, since I have much higher standards for the guy I actually voted for. But at the same time, I hope that Republicans remember that we're all in this together, and despite what Sarah Palin says, we are ALL Real Americans. Remember that gay people still deserve to be treated like human beings, that immigrants love their families too, that Muslims also love this country, and even Socialists want people to be treated family. Everyone who lives in America IS American, and we ALL want justice and fairness and prosperity.

There are signs from the first days of building the Obama administration that are good: the buzz is that Obama wants to keep Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, a Republican, and his chief of staff will be Rahm Emanuel, an Orthodox Jew and son of an avid Zionist. So hopefully this shows that, yes, Republicans will have a voice, and that Obama is not anti-Jewish.

So I don't know how the next four years will turn out; only time will tell. So keep praying, keep speaking out, and let's all work together to make America a place we can all be proud of!

But what's your take? The whole idea of the internet is communication, so please post your ideas in the comments section. I want to hear from you!