I must confess that I just don't get it.Perhaps the problem is me. But I just don't get this strong wave of emotion following the American election. The wailing and gnashing of the teeth on the part of some of those who feel their entire country has lost. Then again, neither do I get the unmitigated joy, the rapture, on the part of many following the election of the Obamessiah.
One way or another, I just can't get that excited. That involved. That emotional. Although I can say that I'm glad it's over.
Don't get me wrong. It's not that I didn't care about the American election or its result. In fact, I spent a restless night on November 4th, often waking up as soon as I fell asleep with the name of Joe Biden or Obama immediately spring to mind. Weird, that.
But I am uncomfortable, I think, with personality cults. And while I don't really have
Yeah, I get it. Or, at least, I 'm trying to. The historic part. Then again maybe I don't really get it. Because I would never consider voting for or against someone based on the colour of their skin, perhaps I simply can't get how big this is in that regard.
But what I equally don't get is Americans who would say that they hope Obama will fail at everything he attempts to do over the next four years. Even trying my best to understand where that person might be coming from, their *certain* knowledge that they will vehemently disagree with every single thing Obama will do over the next four years, do they realize they are wishing, hoping, praying... for their own country to fail? The one so near and dear to them?
Talk about cutting off your nose to cut to spite your face.
Nope, I just don't get it. Can't get it. Rather doubt that I ever will. So I bite my tongue rather than say what I am thinking ...
Why bother? Quite simply, they won't. Won't let themselves. Not for quite a while. If ever.
Perhaps it comes from my inherent left-leaning tendencies. It's funny though, lefty that I am, were I an American, I would have voted for McCain in this particular election. And I can say in all honesty that I have never voted for a conservative.
But it was issue-based in part (even though I don't think that the US should have invaded Iraq, now that they are there, neither do I think they can, in all good conscience, simply pull out and leave the country to sink or swim on its own) and partly based on the fact that for the longest time I couldn't seem to get a grip on what, exactly, Obama was campaigning for. Other than hope. And change. I just couldn't find his specific position on the issues for quite a while, it was just "Let us save the world" and "Kumbaya". Which rather turned me off.
And then there
But be that as it may, life will go on.
The United States has its first black President.
Many years ago, Canada had its first female Prime Minister. That one didn't work out so well. And we haven't had, or even really considered, another woman at the helm since. So let's hope the U.S.' bold move into making history works out better than ours in that regard.
And, bottom line, although I know this may well anger many, He is your President.
Might I suggest you don't start heading down that road. Don't become a caricature of one of those things you most despise about the left. At least not until the man actually, you know, screws up.
Update: It's been brought to my attention that those two links above, both to the same post at Lex's, could be somewhat misleading. I was actually intending to link to some of the comments on that particular post and not Lex's post itself. Mea culpa.
6 comments:
Hey Michelle,
I think you may have misunderstood the thrust of the post you've linked to twice. I honestly do wish Obama well, and hope that he is a quick study. After all, as I point out, "our fates are conjoined," and he will soon be the president of my country, hence: My president. To wish him to stumble is to wish us to stumble, and that I most assuredly do not want to do.
Other among my commenters clearly feel differently - it's still a free country. But perhaps it would have been more appropriate to link to those comments instead?
You're right, Lex.
FWIW, I agree completely with the sentiments expressed in your post. I actully wanted to link to some of the comments as opposed to the post. But I wasn't sure how to do that. Guess maybe I need more how-to lessons. ;)
Michelle - it's interesting that you talk about your own left-leaning tendencies. When it's the left in this country that has created a fever swamp of hatred towards President Bush, the likes of which we have never seen in our history. Talk about embarrassing and inappropriate. These fever swamps of the left have wished death upon our President and his "minions".
Yes Obama is our President, much as it pains me to accept that. He will do alot of damage to this country during his, hopefully, one term. You probably don't remember the Jimmy Carter years here - I do. They were a nightmare that included hostages held for over a year in Iran. And the saber-rattling has already begun towards Obama - check out Russia and Iran in the past 24 hours.
I don't like him, I did not vote for him. I dread the next 4 years more than I dread going to the dentist. Obama will immediately tack back to the far left from which he came; and with a Democratically controlled Congress at his beck & call there is no telling what he will do.
And yet - our Republic will endure; we've survived much worse. It will be important for us as a nation to stand united - as our great patriot, Patrick Henry, said in his last speech - United we stand, divided we fall.
It will be imperative that we keep Obama and his administration as honest as possible, calling them out on their crap and hoping they make common sense decisions for the best for our country.
And that still doesn't mean I will ever enjoy saying - President Obama and the First Lady, Michelle Obama.
Kris, of course, I remember the Carter years. There are only a very few years between us, I think. And I well remember the hostage crisis, too.
Although other than the outrage over them holding the Americans hostage, anxiously watching and waiting to see how it would end and the pride I felt as a Canadian for our part in their rescue (hoping I'm remembering that correctly and not confusing it with a different hostage crisis), I don't remember much about the politics from that era. I guess I was a little bit young/uninterested in politics, in general.
Anyway, I'm glad to see you say that the Republic will survive. I think that's really important to remember.
Michelle: I meant you didn't live in America under Carter's administration, sorry should have been clearer about that.
One memory that sticks out for me is gas lines. Waiting in line with my dad for 1-2 hours to get 3 gallons of gas. Another is 18% inflation - can't even get my mind around it now, let alone then.
And some would say our first female PM didnt work out to well either!
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