Where Everybody Knows You're Numb

Psych Lit · Guru

RE: The World Reacts

Nightowlhoot3 · Guru

Psych Lit wrote:

Nightowlhoot3 wrote:
Just as a footnote:

I've seen a lot of "Palin 2012" stuff the last few days.

I've never knowingly given the GOP a plug nickel, but must confess, I'd gladly chuck over a few bucks for that campaign, if only for the GOP primary.

<still a democrat>

ive been watching the unfolding of the blame the woman thing with regard to palin. clearly her inexperience and fringe values were a consideration but ive also been reading the comments on some of the legit news sites where voters were asked what do you think undid mccain and the one thing that jumped out at me were the numbers of women who said the nastiness that his campaign took toward the end. how odd that his people did not realize that women, as a rule, dont like that sort of thing while men tend to excuse it. if the demographic he needed to win was the former hillary supporters, mostly women, going negative seemed like an act of self sabotage.

i do feel sorry for her in a way. she was completely mishandled and she will likely pay the price for that career wise. i saw a quote the other day attributed to one of mccains people stating that she was told to pick out a total of 6 suits 3 for the convention and 3 for fall campaigning and that she was responsible for the overspending to the tune of an additional 125K it was also stated that they were thinking of going to her home in alaska to make sure she didnt take home any of the 150k wardrobe. i think the way that they left her on her own immediately after the election was creepy too. its like they used her and threw her away. and nope im not a republican either! lol

The GOP needs to give the proceeds from the sale of those clothes to an AIDS foundation. Palin said (about her wardrobe) that she shops from consignment stores back home -- and named her favorite store: "Out of the Closet."

Thing is, the Alaskan store is guilty of copyright infringement -- there's a pre-existing chain of stores by that name which is an AIDS foundation, and which donates 100% of the sale of the recycled merchandise to the aid of PWA's, only this shop of hers isn't one of them, and keeps all the profit (which doesn't go to the consigner) for themselves. It's only fair, really, that the "charity" McCain kept saying the $ would go to, go to the fight against and/or support for people living with HIV AIDS.

Nightowlhoot3 · Guru

Psych Lit wrote:

Nightowlhoot3 wrote:
Just as a footnote:

I've seen a lot of "Palin 2012" stuff the last few days.

I've never knowingly given the GOP a plug nickel, but must confess, I'd gladly chuck over a few bucks for that campaign, if only for the GOP primary.

<still a democrat>

ive been watching the unfolding of the blame the woman thing with regard to palin. clearly her inexperience and fringe values were a consideration but ive also been reading the comments on some of the legit news sites where voters were asked what do you think undid mccain and the one thing that jumped out at me were the numbers of women who said the nastiness that his campaign took toward the end. how odd that his people did not realize that women, as a rule, dont like that sort of thing while men tend to excuse it. if the demographic he needed to win was the former hillary supporters, mostly women, going negative seemed like an act of self sabotage.

i do feel sorry for her in a way. she was completely mishandled and she will likely pay the price for that career wise. i saw a quote the other day attributed to one of mccains people stating that she was told to pick out a total of 6 suits 3 for the convention and 3 for fall campaigning and that she was responsible for the overspending to the tune of an additional 125K it was also stated that they were thinking of going to her home in alaska to make sure she didnt take home any of the 150k wardrobe. i think the way that they left her on her own immediately after the election was creepy too. its like they used her and threw her away. and nope im not a republican either! lol

If they did, then I have to tip my political hat to them, as she has fast become the titular head of the evangelical right, and the GOP clearly needs to move past that extremist position and into the 21st century if they hope to be a viable contender in the future. The guard is changing, and the GOP had better adjust to that quickly. I know the going will be slow, though. Let's face it: Anglo men have been in control of just about everything for so long, and they're bound to drag their feet about giving up all that power. Thing is, if they're not willing to at least share it, then it's going to simply be taken away from them, because the minorities in this country (in all their manifestations -- race, gender, religion, etc.) are on the rise.

Psych Lit · Guru

Nightowlhoot3 wrote:
Just as a footnote:

I've seen a lot of "Palin 2012" stuff the last few days.

I've never knowingly given the GOP a plug nickel, but must confess, I'd gladly chuck over a few bucks for that campaign, if only for the GOP primary.

<still a democrat>

ive been watching the unfolding of the blame the woman thing with regard to palin. clearly her inexperience and fringe values were a consideration but ive also been reading the comments on some of the legit news sites where voters were asked what do you think undid mccain and the one thing that jumped out at me were the numbers of women who said the nastiness that his campaign took toward the end. how odd that his people did not realize that women, as a rule, dont like that sort of thing while men tend to excuse it. if the demographic he needed to win was the former hillary supporters, mostly women, going negative seemed like an act of self sabotage.

i do feel sorry for her in a way. she was completely mishandled and she will likely pay the price for that career wise. i saw a quote the other day attributed to one of mccains people stating that she was told to pick out a total of 6 suits 3 for the convention and 3 for fall campaigning and that she was responsible for the overspending to the tune of an additional 125K it was also stated that they were thinking of going to her home in alaska to make sure she didnt take home any of the 150k wardrobe. i think the way that they left her on her own immediately after the election was creepy too. its like they used her and threw her away. and nope im not a republican either! lol

Psych Lit · Guru

Nightowlhoot3 wrote:

Brokaw: "Obama woke up this morning and demanded a recount."

OK, that's good.

lol, yes it is and one cannot help but wonder if he has any buyers remorse this week.

My Turn · Senior Member

Nightowlhoot3 wrote:

See, I don't see it that way at all.

___________________________________

of course you dont see it that way and neither do i, nor obviously the millions of people who voted for obama....and that is how it should be....however "should be's" dont necessarily translate into real life and peoples' opinions.

....for ME, i dont give a rats furry behind what color a person is or if they have a penis or not, when deciding for whom i will be voting...however, one cannot deny there are many many people that do take those issues into consideration. i saw it both with hillary and obama many times throughout the past 20 mos or so....the over- and under- tones of racism and misogyny.

however, until pres. obama does his job and leaves office with a good or excellent approval rating there are going to be many that evalutate his performance either overtly or subtly with reference to race....both positively and negatively. i feel the same will happen when, one day, a woman will finally attain the status of president.

-- Edited by My Turn at 11:17, 2008-11-06

Nightowlhoot3 · Guru

Just as a footnote:

I've seen a lot of "Palin 2012" stuff the last few days.

I've never knowingly given the GOP a plug nickel, but must confess, I'd gladly chuck over a few bucks for that campaign, if only for the GOP primary. wink

Nightowlhoot3 · Guru

MyCat8it wrote:

I watched many of the reactions from around the world yesterday. It was really quite moving.

I'm so excited for him. What an accomplishment!

Obama sure has a large weight on his shoulders. He's being handed a mess of an economy, a mess of a war, and his every move will be scrutinized until he earns the respect of almost half of the nation. He will set the example for all future elections of a person of color. If he does a great job, it will be much easier to elect the next one, and the one after that. If he is a miserable failure, even a fraction of the failure of W, the media will hang him, and it may be another 100 years before the next person of color is elected.

See, I don't see it that way at all.

What is uplifting to me is that IMO he was not elected "as a man of color," but just as a man. Yeah, of course he is the first man of color to be president, I think that's secondary, and so it's significantly the realization of Dr. King's dream which is so incredible when you step away from the immediacy of the race issue... judged not "... by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character." I believe Obama was elected because a majority of voters in this country thought him the best choice for the position, and that in final analysis color wasn't an issue. Sure, there are exceptions, but those exceptions couldn't have changed the outcome of the election. See, I guess it's my hope that America has finally grown up more than what you suggest, and that finally, Barack Obama will stand or fall and be judged by that as just a person, and for me, an Anglo, that is the "other," "symbolic," if you will, victory in 2008.

I so clearly remember the Catholic issue during JFK's campaign. We, as a nation weren't even close to considering a Black person for president (or a woman, for that matter) but whew boy, did the candidate's submissiveness to the Pope come into play! And in that election, we "grew up" in a small way. We "got over" that naivete, and our reward was enjoying, albeit for too little time, one of our best presidents. JFK was our last "in office" US senator to be elected president ... until last Tuesday. I like that tie, as well as the others, like having a young family in the White House. It does seem to be a cyclic thing.

If we as a nation decide that we don't like Obama's presidency, and connect that with the color of his skin in a punitive way, in terms of future elections, then that ... "inner happiness" ... that "victory" for me is stolen from me. The coincidental "good news" here is that GWB has set the bar so low (his approval rating is now at like 20%????) it would be almost impossible for any president-elect to do worse. Four years from now, if they're discontent, let the electorate blame the democrats -- that, I can live with, but not "the black guy." Let us collectively now hold our breath and hope that too-long "uncashed check" as MLK might say, is behind us once and for all now. As it seems to go in this nation, "equality" seems to be doled out in order of Anglo men, men of color, then women ... and then, GLBT people. I believe ... I "know," actually, that the set-backs the GLBT community absorbed this election cycle will be reversed. I hope that will happen in my lifetime -- in like... the next 20-25 years, but I'm not certain it will. Even so, I do know it will happen. I've observed too much in my lifetime in terms of national evolution to ever think otherwise. Maybe an Arizona citizen still can't grow up to oneday become president, smile

but a Black man now can, and I believe now too, it's been proven a woman can. The electorate didn't reject Sarah Palin because she is a woman, they rejected her because she wasn't up to the task. Hillary Clinton could have just as easily been up on that stage night before last. That's sort of breath-taking, when you stop and think about it. I count that item on the checklist almost marked off right now, because I truly believe had the democratic party not been "cursed" with two good candidates this year, it would have happened. In some ways, that's enough for me. "Equal opportunity" (and I'm ignoring the whole DNC thing right now). I don't see Obama's election some sort of "affirmative action" type thing. I see it as character over color, and no matter what happens in the next four years, I'm glad I got to witness November 4, 2008, because I do believe we soared over a hurdle -- not for electing a Black man, but for electing a man who happens to be Black.

My Turn · Senior Member

MyCat8it wrote:

He will set the example for all future elections of a person of color. If he does a great job, it will be much easier to elect the next one, and the one after that. If he is a miserable failure, even a fraction of the failure of W, the media will hang him, and it may be another 100 years before the next person of color is elected.

i feel his presidency will not only be a benchmark against which future people of different races are measured...but i think it will definitely impact the future opportunity for a woman to run and be elected.

if he is successful, i think people will be more inclined to say, hmmm, well, we gave pres. obama a chance and he did pretty darn well, maybe we should give ms./mrs. such and such a chance....on the other hand...if things dont go so well, it will be more like, well, we gave "that black guy" a chance and look what happened....there's no way in h*ll we'll give "that woman" a chance.

no matter what, his presidency will be subjected to intense scrutiny on both the part of his supporters and detractors....he has a long road ahead of him with lots of work to be done.

My Turn · Senior Member

here are some great pics from people 'round the world...

http://tinyurl. com/5ul5lh

here is a note from a lady i know in the uk....

Hi,
just had to say the election of Barrack Obama has caused almost as
much excitement here in the UK as there in the US. It is an historic
moment and as a Britain of mixed/duel heritage I very much appreciate
the journey his election represents. It's a shame his Grandmother didn't live to see it, but if she was anything like my Nana she would have had complete faith that he could attain anything he set his mind to.

I got the news via a text from my GF at 06:30am (UK time) as I was heading out to walk my dog.. I was putting off checking the news, for fear the outcome wouldn't be what I hoped.

I am sure if there is a place the people we love go, his Nana was
there watching him with pride. regards, D******

i have to say it is really nice to feel that finally after so long, the US has a leader that is dignifed, intelligent, regal, and respected....and that finally, after being the laughing stock of the world with the re-election of bush in '04, we have gained back some of the respect and confidence in the view of other countries...

MyCat8it · Senior Member

I watched many of the reactions from around the world yesterday. It was really quite moving.

I'm so excited for him. What an accomplishment!

Obama sure has a large weight on his shoulders. He's being handed a mess of an economy, a mess of a war, and his every move will be scrutinized until he earns the respect of almost half of the nation. He will set the example for all future elections of a person of color. If he does a great job, it will be much easier to elect the next one, and the one after that. If he is a miserable failure, even a fraction of the failure of W, the media will hang him, and it may be another 100 years before the next person of color is elected.

Nightowlhoot3 · Guru

Brokaw: "Obama woke up this morning and demanded a recount."

OK, that's good.

Nightowlhoot3 · Guru

Elections 2008 | PRI's The World

Nightowlhoot3 · Guru

The world reacts to the new US president

Overwhelming congratulations and an 'awesome' from Bush while Baghdad remains sceptical

Peter Walker
guardian.co.uk,
Wednesday November 05 2008 09.44 GMT

A man in Baghdad looks at a newspaper bearing an image of Barack Obama. Photograph: Sabah Arar/AFP/Getty Images

In a night of near-unanimous praise and congratulation for Barack Obama on his US election victory it was, unexpectedly, the current occupant of the White House who expressed himself in the simplest, most memorable terms.

"What an awesome night for you, your family and your supporters," George Bush said. "You are about to go on one of the great journeys of life. Congratulations and go enjoy yourself."

Elsewhere, the vast majority of world leaders welcomed Obama's win as a landmark moment for both the US and the wider world, while warning of the challenges the new president will face once in office.

A couple were less enthusiastic Iraq's foreign minister, Hoshyar Zebari, noted that the new president "will not have the same enthusiasm and momentum for this situation (in Iraq)" as did Bush while Sudan was distinctly underwhelmed.

"When it comes to foreign policy there is no difference between the Republicans and the Democrats," said Ali Al-Sadig, a spokesman for the country's foreign ministry.

Otherwise, world leaders were queuing up to offer their support. Gordon Brown praised Obama's "inspirational campaign".

José Manuel Barroso, the president of the European commission, congratulated Obama, saying it was "time for a renewed commitment between Europe and the United States of America".

Angela Merkel, Germany's chancellor, echoed this idea, saying she was "convinced that Europe and the United States will work closely and in a spirit of mutual trust together to confront new dangers and risks and will seize the opportunities presented by our global world".

Nicolas Sarkozy, France's president, was more effusive still, despite his ostensible ideological differences as a conservative.

"With the world in turmoil and doubt, the American people, faithful to the values that have always defined America's identity, have expressed with force their faith in progress and the future," he said.

Asia's two emerging world powers offered their congratulations, although China was typically muted. The country's president, Hu Jintao, said he hoped to "continuously strengthen dialogue and exchanges between our two countries". India's prime minister, Manmohan Singh, was more effusive, saying Obama's "extraordinary journey to the White House will inspire people not only in your country but also around the world".

In the Middle East, both sides appeared more focused on arguing for continued support. Israel "expects close strategic cooperation with the new administration", said Tzipi Livni, leader of the country's governing Kadima party. An aide to the Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, meanwhile said he hoped the "two-state vision will be transferred from a vision to a realistic track immediately".

Elsewhere in the region, Iranian politicians were as much celebrating the end of Bush's presidency as welcoming his successor.

"Obama's victory is ... evidence that Bush's policies have failed," one prominent MP, Gholam Ali Haddad-Adel, said. "Americans have no option but to change their policies to save themselves from the quagmire Bush has created for them."

Afghanistan and Pakistan, who will remain key strategic allies for Obama, were more fulsome. The election "marks a new chapter in the remarkable history of the United States", Pakistan's prime minister, Yousaf Raza Gilani said. The Afghan president, Hamid Karzai, said meanwhile that he wanted to "applaud the American people for their great decision".

Away from the presidential palaces, there was some more personal jubilation. Obama's relatives in Kenya erupted in cheers and singing in the western village of Kogelo, where the president-elect's late father was born, as victory was confirmed.

There was similar celebration in Obama, a small coastal town in southern Japan which has spent the past few weeks cheering on its namesake and acquiring a small measure of global fame in the process.

"I really think this is going to change the world," said Akihiko Mukohama, the signer of a band performing at a party held the mark the election, wearing an "I Love Obama" T-shirt.

(End of "Guardian" UK article)

Kenya, incidentally, has declared tomorrow a national holiday in honor of Obama's election.