My Uber Random Thoughts on this Election and Its Outcome

So much has been swirling around in my head since that moment around 10 pm Tuesday night when we learned the identity of who will be the 44th President of the United States. My mind is a flutter of excitement, fear, impatience, sadness, and most of all, accomplishment.

The only way I could think of to put my thoughts into words was through a list. So here it is. A list of all the election related emotions (in no particular order) going through my head.



1. Excitement


I went down to the Chase Park Plaza for the official Democratic Victory Party. First of all, I knew for 2 days that I was going, and during that time, I had a big issue calling it a victory party. I thought it was a little premature. But I digress.....


It was a beautiful moment being around all the people on the same side as me, with media everywhere, and people dancing, singing, crying, laughing, cheering. It was like when your college football teams wins a big game. And what struck me was, when I looked around the room and saw everyone. It was the whole picture of America. Old people. Young people. Black people. White people. All races. Even a couple turbans. I saw some Emos, cheering next to yuppies in suits. I saw young couples with kids. I saw girls dressed like they were at a club in Vegas. I saw old grey haired men clapping and smiling, while young black punks in saggy jeans and crooked ballcaps were chest thumping. I saw old women in ridiculous homemade hats and painted t-shirts, jumping up and down with college kids in the blue "official" Obama team leader T-shirt.

Republicans can say what they will about who makes up the Democratic party, but we are a true cross section of this country. To use a great line from Barney on HIMYM ......

"I gaze upon that crowd to see the face of America. And it is divine."

Muchos Cheesy. Especially since Barney was talking about The Price is Right when he said it. But I still love the quote.



2. Fear


This is not as warm fuzzy as the last emotion, but rings true. I am scared about what will happen to Obama in the next four years. Not fear for his life or anything like that. There will be plenty of hot hot Secret Service snipers to protect him. (sidenote: I LOVE me some snipers. They are so hot the way they wear all black with the cool sunglasses.) But, fear that the problems which this nation faces right now are not the type of problems that get fixed very quickly. I know he will try, and having the support of Congress is a good thing. However, I am afraid that the issues will be bigger than what any administration could solve in one term, and Obama will end his presidency being scapegoated. And it is not a president specific thing. I think anyone who is in office right now really has their work cut out for them.

The part that makes me really scared is that Obama was able to gather support and inspire people like I have never seem a politician do before. The jokes about him being Superman and the Messiah have a basis in the way that citizens were so enamored and adoring of him. Especially considering there are a lot of first time voters, who may not have paid attention to politics before, and don't understand that winning the election is just the beginning. With this kind of entrance, it will be a very loud thump when he falls, if he is not able to do everything that we expect of him. The bar is raised very high. I just really hope he lives up to the hype.



3. Impatience


I just so want it to be Inaugural day right now. I want to hear the speech, which, you know, will be one for the ages. I want to see what Michelle is going to wear at the Ball. Especially since the Grant Park victory speech outfit was a trainwreck. There I said it. I did not understand that getup at all. It looked like what a drop of blood looks like under a microscope. And what was with the wrap half sweater thing? She's a pretty lady, but that dress did nothing for her. Back to the point....

I want Obama to start doing all the things he has promised. I want to see the decor of the ballrooms on Inaugural Night. I wanted to see the Obamas dancing in the red, white, and blue balloons. And I think more than anything.....I want to see those children running around the White House with the new puppy. All the news stations have been talking about what breed it should be. You know what really would send a message? If they go to the pound for the dog, and get a mutt of some kind. That would do a world of good for the Humane Society and other stray rescue causes.



4. Sadness


It's over. No more waking up every morning eager to watch CNN to get the latest poll numbers. No more switching over to FOX news to laugh at how partisan they are, and how they don't even try to hide it. No more plotting how I can watch the debates when I have to work. No more religiously checking Cajun Boy in the City and Andrew Sullivan blogs to get the latest democratic political scope. No more far right winged, borderline offensive (but that I looked forward to reading for the perspective) emails from my good friend's very conservative girlfriend. No more very spirited conservations at the DD Lounge or whatever other drinking establishment, about the political parties, their intention, and all the conspiracy theories surrounding both candidates and their running mates. I'm really truly going to miss those. I dig me a good half drunk argument about politics. Especially when someone brings up religion, abortion or the environment. LOVE IT! I guess now our Thursday nights out will go back to karaoke and darts.



5. Accomplishment


I feel I really had a stake in this election. I was part of it. This is the first time I have been so involved. I volunteered for the campaign. I had signs in the yard. I bought the T-shirt. I collected a bunch of campaign buttons. I wore the official white rubber Obama "Hope" bracelet without taking it off. I went with the over 100,000 people under the arch to see Barrack Obama address the masses. And it was amazing!!!!

Sidenote: I found this out on Tuesday....that Obama rally was the largest gathering of any kind in St. Louis since the 1904 World's Fair. How flippin' cool is that!

I even took my mother to see President Bill Clinton on his Obama campaigning stop at Kirkwood High School. He made me cry, I was so entrhalled with what he was saying.

And days up to the election, and on election night, I was stratigizing like crazy. I was counting up electoral votes and forecasting states like I was picking my football teams in Vegas at the sportsbook. It almost became a game for me. I loved that when I was talking to all the other volunteers on our shifts the days before and on Tuesday, we all had different predictions as to how Obama was going to win (which states, whether we would know on election day or after)....but the important part....we all so deeply wanted to believe he was going to win!

What made this different for me personally from other elections where the democrats ran:

Clinton -Too young to really care that much when he first ran, and not very political when I was in college the second term

Gore - Voted for him absentee because I was in Hong Kong for the election and most of the crazy hoopla that was the 2000 election, so I never really felt a part of it

Kerry - Wasn't really crazy about him, just thought he was the anti-Bush choice when I voted ....absentee again. I was in Australia for that election.

So my involvement and passion this year definitely did feel like a new accomplishment for me. I was part of something and someone I believed in. A candidate I educated myself about, running in an election I obsessively followed. A candidate I worked hard campaigning for. And in the end, that candidate was the victor.

And when Obama stood there in Grant Park in Chicago, while I watched it on huge screens at the Chase in St. Louis, and he made it very clear that the supporters were the reason for his being there...I truly felt it was my victory also.

I am going to end this with my favorite part of his speech from Chicago on election night. I hope it does for you what it did for me that evening.....


A new dawn of American leadership is at hand. To those who would tear this world down - we will defeat you. To those who seek peace and security - we support you. And to all those who have wondered if America's beacon still burns as bright - tonight we proved once more that the true strength of our nation comes not from our the might of our arms or the scale of our wealth, but from the enduring power of our ideals: democracy, liberty, opportunity, and unyielding hope.

For that is the true genius of America - that America can change. Our union can be perfected. And what we have already achieved gives us hope for what we can and must achieve tomorrow.