Congratulations to all folks who voted for and supported Barack Obama. Given the long history of the United States -- from language in the Constitution that protected slavery, to the Emancipation Proclamation, to Martin Luther King -- last night was perhaps a closing chapter in a long struggle.
To that, I'll continue to focus on the issues that I believe are the most important. My dedication will not differ now that this election is over. It's our responsibility as US citizens to continue to care about it. And though I disagree strongly with President-elect Obama's stances, I honor him as my president.
However, Obama supporters will have to figure out how to control the narrative against the NotObama* supporters. The continual focus on the minutia by this block of voters will inevitably evolve into a perverted form of extenuating expectations. It's a logical resolution of their dissonance.
For example, because NotObama supporters believe that he is perceived by supporters as a messiah, they will expect acts that would bear some resemblance to turning water into wine. Because NotObama supporters believe that he is a socialist, they will respond and expect any legislation as a path towards a socialist nation (hint, that path has been paved for a long time and would never have changed given the president).
So how do you combat it, Obama supporters? Educate yourself on the issues. You yourself must make a transition. It's time to "moveon" from the anti-Bush, message of change rhetoric. The economy, foreign policy, monetary policy, and domestic policy aren't talking points any more; they are facets of a real problem. Educate yourself on what ails the country... you will no longer be able to control the narrative by just simply saying "Yes We Can". If Obama truly "inspires" you, then use that inspiration to understand the massive issues at hand. Talk about and research those issues with an open mind -- prepare to change your stances given the new information you learn.
The only way to fight ingrained irrationality is with steady rationality.
*NotObama supporter: Voted for McCain because of Obama, not because of McCain. Symptoms include: Ayers obsession, Obama's black, Hussein, use of reverse syllogisms (aka truthiness).
Nov 5 2008, 4:46 am
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Venom Development
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Can't we have our moment :( ?
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Actually, this is a very good post. The real struggle is just beginning. President elect Obama has a full plate of problems to deal with and the Democrats stand to win or lose alot based on how they handle these issues in the coming years. If Obama continues to display and improve the organizational and motivational skills utilized in the campaign, he might very well be remembered as a modern FDR. The economic crisis is the paramount issue and the 2010 elections will likely be a midterm on perceived progress.
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I think most McCain voters were the NObama voters, at least here in NC. Any time I talked politics with someone, they were either for Obama, or against him. Some people were against Palin, but for the most part, people fell into those categories.
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I believe that those who are scared of Obama because they arent sure what he is like or what his background is (Rev. Wright, Ayers) will probably have those fears go away after a few months of seeign Obama be president and not push some sort of extremist agenda. I mean it is a little crazy how risky the McCain camp tried to make him seem, Im certain a lot of that will wear off simply by seeing his actions.
Secondly, I think the day when Obama picks his secretaries and people see Warren Buffet and Colin Powel and god willing that Google CEO who supported him, running the country with him. You know the people who support Obama are half the reason to be excited, he isnt running the country alone, he is leading a team of extremely impressive people. However there is a rift in the country, It really takes Obama making good use of the first four years and keeping some promises to win over the apathetic republicans. It really depends, he has inherited a tough economic and political climate and he needs to do such a heroic job in the first year of office. Regardless, the fears that many have, that Obama is a muslim, radical, socialist will dissolve as people who took these views will no longer be able to simply ignore the truth of the matter. There will be no more republican rallies of misinformation and i think that is enough for now to feel confident that the Anti-Obama republicans will relax their stance. Except the skinheads, they are in for a tough 4 years. | |
Im just guessing but they probably thought Obama was a extremist because he thought he could set down with Mahmoud Ahmadinejad(Iranian president) and have a logical conversation with him. I mean come on the guy is obviously insane; anyone who says the holocaust did not happen is not right in the head.
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There are a lot of americans with crazy stubborn values that are not representative of the country as a whole. The Iranian president is a nutter, but his anti-gay anti-isreal beliefs are no reason to completly refuse to engage in diplomatic talks. Iran might have a leader with crazy views, but if they want to engage in trade and prosperity with the rest of the world, then they will have to lose the extreme views and become more reasonable. Imagine in the 1980s if people believed that Russia was a crazy marxist nation with unreasonable views that couldnt be negotiated with, then the cold war would have never ended. Thank god that Reagan engaged in diplomacy with the USSR and end up ending the cold war.
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Masterdan wrote:
Except the skinheads, they are in for a tough 4 years. Everyone is in for a tough four years. There's going to be so many smug white people casually mentioning how they voted for Obama, the first black President, because they're totally tolerant of other cultures. It'll be hell on Earth I tells ya! | |
Masterdan wrote:
The Iranian president is a nutter, but his anti-gay anti-isreal beliefs are no reason to completly refuse to engage in diplomatic talks. In this case there are good reasons to refuse to engage in diplomatic talks right now, and Obama didn't seem to have considered them. The importance of it isn't that he was an extremist on their side or anything. It circles back to a major problem I had with his campaign, he showed me a world I wanted to live in but didn't appear to even consider the complications of the world we actually live in that will get in the way. I believe this was a sign of inexperience rather than anything maliciously deceptive. His inexperience is completely irrelevant now because he will draw from the experience of those around him as well as gaining his own, but I think voters will have good reason to be a little miffed at him when real-world Obama is forced to compromise with campaign Obama. [Edit] Booty Boy wrote: because NotObama supporters believe that he is perceived by supporters as a messiah, they will expect acts that would bear some resemblance to turning water into wine. This is pretty relevant to what I just wrote. Sticking with your example I understand that he wasn't saying he'd turn water into wine. His message was more that the wine wont come easy, but it will come. With a lack of a solid, practical plan for acquiring said wine. | |