VICTORY

I'm not normally an all-caps person...can't help it right now though. :D Dem majorities all around and a young, hopeful president in January!

My notes on the victory speech:

Well, an obvious opening about possibility and the "power of our democracy."

He actually named every minority group! :O Also mentioned the "world." Cynicism aside, definitely a strong message of unity--and haha, to not be cynical.

Comparison of mobs: some people cheered for Sen. McCain. There's even applause (a smattering) for Palin! Seriously. This is what all of America, not just the majority of voters, needs to be like.

The bit on the puppy made me laugh. I think that may be a general mood-thing though. And a bit on the family not present--see? Democrats aren't rabid maniacs. Learn, people.

Also David Plouffe is not unsung. He sent out many, many emails.

A word on the unique strategy used to build Obama's campaign. So very interesting to hear about it. And damn straight we rejected that apathy. Some of these descriptions are taking on Biblical proportions...but then, so did the volunteer effort.

It's not about Obama, it's about the country. He knows he has a lot of work ahead of him--I hope he's already planning (and I bet he is). And he's also warning us--"we may not get there in one year, or even in one term." High expectations may harm him a bit.

"YES WE CAN!" the best kind of cheer :D

Again, unity. Again, we still have to work for things--and we need to resist "partisan, pettiness, and immaturity" (ha!). Also he's just pointed out the origins of the Republican Party (helpful, since Lincoln was from Illinois). Humility, unity, healing the divides. It's actually a very very interesting parallel since some of the same issues are a problem. What intrigues me is the timing of the cheers--not as immediate. Are they thinking about it or are they unsure that they want to shake hands with the other side?

"Our stories are singular but our destiny is shared." I love this man's skill at oration, his quotability, his excellent appeal. (That quote was addressed to the world, by the way.)

Obama got some really old people out there...wow. Although I'm not as interested her story, he's using it to remind us of the "heartache and the hope"..."yes we can." A summary of the past century--including the Great Depression (excellent parallel!); Pearl Harbor--tyranny, the saving of a democracy; the civil rights movement; the connection of the world after the dropping of the Iron Curtain. In general, that American can change; overcome. The tone is so pleasantly consistent and a stronger appeal to the future is made--because he can, now. E. pluribus unum, translated for the masses.

He closes with God Bless the United States of America, which is interesting. I never really realized how strong faith is in general even today--most of my friends are disinterested.

:D !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We DID it. The future seems like a much safer place!

And now the election season's over. It's nice to have a record of all this stuff--primarily for myself, really, but out there on the almighty Interweb.

P.S. Barack Obama is actually African-American, not "black" in the sense of having been in this country for long enough to no longer share a common culture with Africa but more than long enough to find out how awful humans can be...c'mon, people. Get it right.