What You Want

2008-11-05 - 1:28 p.m.

When the time came for me to choose between the giant douche and the turd sandwich, I held my nose and voted for the turd sandwich.

This has been an amazing, exhausting election. The people have spoken - Senator Barack Obama is now President-elect Barack Obama.

So what does the future hold? Difficult to say...always in motion is the future.

There are several possibilities. Since the Democrats did not get their filibuster-proof margin, it's possible that some of Obama's (IMHO) more odious policies may get blocked, or become watered down enough as to be meaningless. Or things may well get bad enough that the Republicans will be voted back into Congress in 2010. If Obama implements his policies as much as he has promised, I think the economy will tank even further - I'm no fan of the Bush tax-and-spend administration, but a completely Democrat controlled Congress will give the store away without wanting to cut any spending at all. Taxes will have to go up, and it won't be just the rich who pay - since some taxes will be passed on to the consumer in the form of higher prices.

His energy policies will most likely pin themselves on renewable energies, which at this time aren't cost-effective enough for us to get off oil and coal. We need to drill and we need nuclear. There have been accidents in both those areas, sure - but technology has advanced a bit since then.

Obama wants to sit down with foreign leaders and talk to them. We all know how well that worked with Carter and Clinton. It will make us look weak. Biden is right - Obama will be tested very quickly. How and where is anybody's guess.

Then there's the "racial" aspect. It's wonderful that America has truly shown how far it's come by electing an African-American to the highest office. But there's a downside to this, too. His being African-American will affect the response to his policies - much of what Obama says or does will be dissected and held up to some measure of "blackness" by such critics. There will be accusations of racism given to anyone who criticizes his policies or statements. And mark my words - there will be idiots who will get it into their tiny minds that they must kill him, because "no nigger should be in the White House". Hell, that part already happened - the FBI caught those two dumbasses who were planning a killing spree.

The voters have very very high expectations of this President-elect. He has promised much, and they will expect him to deliver - and very quickly. The media has built him up so much that, when he fails at something (and he will - every president has failed at something during their administration), the fall will be very long and very hard. If things go very badly, Bush may wind up being recalled with fondness.

I wish I could be more optimistic about the future. But the signs do not look good to me. Time will tell, as it always does.

All that said - I congratulate Barack Obama on his win. Like most Americans, there is something I want from this President. But unlike most Americans, I only want one thing.

Prove me wrong.

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As for some of the propositions.

Prop. 1A, which I talked about on Monday, passed. We now will have a $10 billion hole in the budget. Lovely.

Prop. 8, the Same Sex Marriage Ban, passed...but not by much. Look for this to come up again in future elections.

Prop. 11, the redistricting issue, is right this minute too close to call. This has been an issue for awhile - the California Legislature gerrymandered its districts in 2001, making it virtually impossible to vote out the incumbents. Further updates another time.

One of the other big ones in the OC was Measure J, which requires all pension increases of city employees to be voted on by the public. That came on the ballot after several cities gave large retroactive increases to some pensions - increases that are fully funded no matter what happens to the city budget. Measure J passed overwhelmingly. I think that, if the taxpayers are going to pay someone's pension, then they should have a say in how much.

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Even though a new president has been elected, some things don't change. I still have to go to work and pay my rent.

And I still have jury duty tomorrow. Posts will be late, if at all. I may have to take a brief break so I can do what I need to. I'll keep you all informed.

Be seeing you.

Brin aka Bindyree - 2008-11-05 22:13:13 - http://bindyree.diaryland.com
For months now, you have been pointing us repeatedly to various articles that puport to show Obama in his true colors and which claim to be decrying the policies that he might be implementing. Is your desire to stop being perceived as non-optimistic happening because the election is over now? :-) Thanks, though, for acknowledging the fact that most of the people of the country, along with two thirds of the electoral college, and a whole bunch of world leaders, are not feeling quite so pessimistic anymore.

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Brin aka Bindyree - 2008-11-05 22:17:00 - http://bindyree.diaryland.com
Whoops, almost forgot, good luck with jury duty!!!

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Dave - 2008-11-06 08:38:49 -
No, actually - what I said was "I wish I could be more optimistic". I'm still pessimistic about the President-Elect. As for how I'm feeling now...call it more of a "hope for the best" attitude.

And I hope Obama proves me wrong. He's got his chance to do so.

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