What a night.
In Philadelphia, what a week.
Possibly, most memorable week ever.
Barack Obama, a master orator, gave a beautiful, uplifting speech that was characteristically inclusive and uplifting.
John McCain also gave a beautiful, uplifting speech that was inclusive and uplifting, celebrating a patriotism that includes everyone, not voters of a specific demographic.
What struck me watching them both speak was how far one man had come in America, and how much the other has given.
John McCain has given far more to this country than it has ever asked of him. He has served the nation almost every day of his adult life.
Barack Obama is the son of an immigrant from Kenya and a middle-class family mother from Kansas. For the first time in 12 years, we are looking at a man who ran for the nation's highest office who is not the son of a president, a senator, a millionaire or a four-star admiral. The same holds true for Joe Biden.
This has been a historic campaign, not only for the distinction of its candidates -- the first African American candidate of a major party, two women running for president and vice president, a war hero -- but also its length, cost and character.
We can only hope, as both men suggested, that we can put such divisions and petty partisan politics behind us, as well as the bile that came to characterize so many attack ads. And that McCain, in his return to Congress, can also return to his true maverick status, finally free of the choke of this administration's policies, and be the true leader he is.
The economy effects us all. The current crisis is color-blind and indifferent to class, religion or background. The same is true of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and America's place in the world.
There are already hate-filled posts up today on the website, as if this will change anything. Consider the elegance and grace of both men's speeches last night. Think how charitable President Bush was in extending congratulations to Obama. Remember that anger and hate impoverish us. They never really get citizens anywhere, that these are the emotions that fuel terrorists and thugs, and can
With any luck, we'll say goodby to Joe the Plumber, "the real Virginia," slurs about socialism, deciding who is a true patriot and American, questioning someone's motivation and religion (as if being Muslim, as Colin Powell memorably argued, is wrong in a democracy founded for freedom of faith), Acorn stealing votes (didn't happen), and trying to divide America into a color war.
This is all lovely and fine sentiment, but I don't think there's one article in today's DN or Ink that covers what Obama faces by the numbers. Odd that the BBC would take on the challenge and not the Philly regional press. Obama is not going to be able to be as "blue" as his words might imply during an election says Bob Peston of the BBC: "For example, on that windfall tax - which much of the Labour Party would love to see imitated here - there's already been a strong hint from Obama's advisers that it's on hold, following the collapse in the oil price. That said, the oil giants have been making stupendous, record-breaking profits. And if Obama were to fail to skim off some of these, it's difficult to see how and where he will raise the money for his significant tax cutting and spending commitments. The point is that he is inheriting an economic estate that has been pillaged by his predecessor. US public sector debt is well over $10,000bn, equivalent to around 80% of US economic output." Imagine a president attempting to recover in four years from the cost of public spending that is such a drag on the economy and potential revenue. 80% of all US economic output is matched with that amount in debt. There's no way we can have anything but recession and tightening as long as this scenario exists. I think an honest Ink or DN liberal, God bless you, would start to pick their favored programs for funding and lobby for them now because, like Philly, there is going to be a blitzkrieg of cuts and collection.— CleanupPhilly
Comment removed.- You can forget about unity and respect. Obama will get the same respect from the 46% who voted against him and republicans who stayed home that Bush got over the past 8 yrs— jjfalcon35
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