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This is a historic day for America. Although I did not want this particular black American to become President of the United States due to his beliefs, proposals, and track record, I do recognize what a strongly symbolic moment this is for the nation.Unfortunately, having our first black American elected President will not, in and of itself, improve race relations in our country but we shall see. Despite what the critics claim, I believe America is one of the least racist nations on the earth. We have come a long way from slavery to segregation to the present. This election appears to support this.
A Democrat-controlled White House, Senate, House and soon-to-be Supreme Court will not be good for our nation. This is not the Democrat Party of the Carter or Clinton administrations. The Democrats are much more leftist than they have been in the past. Will President Obama moderate his positions now that he has been elected? Some pundits think so but I do not think the House and Senate will allow him to do that. America is a center-right nation and our government will not represent the majority of the people.
This next couple of years will be interesting to say the least. Change has come to America and it will be change we will most likely come to regret. I look forward to the discussions that will follow in the weeks and months to come. For now, congratulations to President Obama and those who support him.
5 comments:
Why don't you uplift?
Healing.
Just don't get it.
Any evidence for the fact that America is a center-right country--you know, other than the massive Democratic majorities in the House, Senate, and for the new President, which clearly demonstrate center-rightness?
"Any evidence for the fact that America is a center-right country--you know, other than the massive Democratic majorities in the House, Senate, and for the new President, which clearly demonstrate center-rightness?"
Hi Tim. The premise that we are a leftist nation because of this election seems a bit simplistic to me. We've gone from Nixon/Ford (R) to Carter (D) to Reagan/Bush (R) to Clinton (D) to Bush (R) to Obama (D). Did a schizophrenic nation keep shifting its basic beliefs over and over again during the past thirty years? Or could it be a little more complicated than that? We know that nations at times select leaders that do not represent the values of the majority for various reasons. Witness Canada's election of a conservative prime minister.
According to one exit poll I saw, 60+% of voters voted for Obama due to the economy. 2nd place was down in the teens if I remember correctly. What was the top economic promise Obama made? A tax cut for 95% of the people. So Obama was elected in large part due to a "conservative" issue - tax cuts.
An economic downturn, an unpopular war, disgust with a "conservative" party that did not act very conservative, these were difficult odds for the incumbent party to overcome.
Also, look at the ballot measures around the country. People generally vote for the more conservative position when given the choice. Even in "liberal" California, Prop 8 was defeated.
The people still prefer private economic enterprise over collectivism, for example.
The 2008 elections are not enough to convince me that the majority of the nation has shifted from center-right to left. It seems to me that other factors were at work. Are we shifting leftward? Possibly so. But I don't think we're there yet.
What do you think?
"Why don't you uplift?
Healing.
Just don't get it."
You mean in my post congratulating Obama and his supporters? :)
What do you want me to do, Rebecca? I disagree with Obama over several important, deeply-held principles. I am fearful of the damage an unchecked leftist party could do now that they are in control of the White House, House, and Senate with the possibility of taking over the majority on the Supreme Court. This is not exactly a time of great celebration for me.
Some of Obama's detractors are refusing to support him, they say he is not their president, they disrespect him in many ways. I have not done any of these things. I recognized the historic nature of his victory and the importance of the symbolism of our first black president. I respect him as a man and as our president but I worry about his governance. I do believe we will regret electing him.
What do you want me to say?
First of all, I am more persuaded that we are a schizophrenic nation than anything else. That is evidenced as much by the alternating presidencies as it is by the fact that voters (in the aggregate, though not the particular) often choose a presidential candidate of one party and a congress of the other. Even in the propositions you mentioned, we can see the schizophrenia. As you noted, voters across the nation voted for gay marriage bans. In the case of Arizona, they enacted one two years after voting another down. And yet those same voters voted down amendment after amendment looking to restrict abortion. Does that make them moderate, liberal, or conservative?
In terms of some of the particulars you mentioned, you're right that the voters had the economy in mind when they voted. But 71% of them thought their taxes would go up if Obama won. Clearly that whole "95% tax cut message" didn't obfuscate the fact that Obama was the first presidential candidate in a long to run partly on the fact that he would in fact raise some people's taxes (a fact you've noted on your site more than once). 51% of voters think the government should do more, not less (not exactly a conservative push for less collectivism).
Of course, I ought to point out that as you mine that exit poll data, you'll see various conservative positions (such as off-shore drilling and self-identification) in the majority as well. As I mentioned above, we are indeed a schizophrenic nation. What unites us is that most Americans want solutions, and right now they're looking to the Democratic party for them. If it works out, then it's going to be a long road for conservatives and Republicans. If it doesn't, then Obama will have an angry electorate on his hands in four years.
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