Welcome Back, Americans

Just one more politically-minded post, and I promise to get back to the stuff that matters. You know, falling down stairs, going to a strip club for "feminist research," figuring out to ask out my extremely alluring hairdresser.

But.

Last night was an extremely elating experience (especially in New York, where circa four million of the six million votes went to Obama) - as if we - as a country, a people, and a democracy clawing to remain above water - delivered on a collective dream. What this election did more than anything was reignite the fire in Americanism. While 9/11 surged a wave of "patriotism" through the streets, it was a patriotism rooted in a fear, and consequently led to intensified racism, an unjust war, and an economic crisis I truly believe birthed out of panic. Obama's campaign roused an energy that touched even the staunchest of conservatives in that their perceived threat prompted a reaction. And isn't this the point of democracy? To place views and policies on the table and for people to dissect, disagree, challenge them?

In 2004, I remember an utter lack of caring. I can't count how many people I knew who "actively abstained" because they could not fathom supporting either candidate. When politicians evoke paralysis of opinion, we know there is a problem. Despite the accumulating holes in McCain's campaign and policy agenda (and his recent falterings really were too bad. Ahem, Sarah.), he was successful in stirring his own pot, and taking an active role in invigorating the American voters. I think we, as Americans, have been extremely lucky over the past year as these candidates have emerged as leaders and worked to steer America in a new, modernized direction. I don't think McCain was by any means the villain in this election; I think he was a crucial element to Obama's success because he embodied everything Obama was challenging. Obama has pledged the importance of true social reform, McCain dug his heels deeper into current social policy. Obama has made critical the point that Main Street must survive if Wall Street is to prosper, and McCain alleged Obama to be a modern-day Robin Hood. With Bush and Kerry, both men were so pathetically flaccid, when debates occurred, I felt like I was watching two spoiled, ivy league frat boys compete over whiskey shots. There is absolutely nothing wrong with said frat boys in said competition, just organize a campus-wide beer pong tournament like everybody else. I don't want to see my President as a beer-guzzling party animal. I have enough of those in my life. I want to revere the President; perceive him as a little different from others. The kind of different that at least fools me into believing their are capable of steering an entire country off the road to whatever those right-wing Christian fundamentalists thinks will happen to the gays.

All in, I don't think republicans should curse the results - regardless of the off-putting liberal fiscal policies, I think it is in the (I can't say our, I mean honestly.) children's best interest that for the first time, an African American man was elected as President. This is the first time in many years that social change is coming from the top down, and I think this revised model will be incalculably beneficial in the long run. It is impossible to teach children about social liberties if only a small percentage of them can fathom owning their own opportunities.

I think this is an exciting day - teeming with anticipation and possibility of what is to come.