Election Day

So, I got to the polls at 5:40 this morning. I was hoping to be the first person on line. Instead, I was 3rd, and by the time the polls opened at 6, there were about 50 people on line. 4 years ago, I was the only person there when the polls opened at 6. Things were so desolate on that morning in 2004, that the poll workers there thought I was another poll worker ( One of the poll worker ladies actually asked me to help out setting up the voting machines! ). With that in mind, I have just one question ...

Where the Hell were all these people 4 years ago????

Most pundits will tell you that one of the biggest factors in Obama's victory tonight was turnout. High turnout is always good for Democrats, and for the first time in a very long time, the supporters of the Democratic party came out in force. Of course, it's not hard to figure out the reason why. Barack Obama is a remarkably inspirational candidate. From his eloquent speeches, to his stirring life story, to the historical significance of his potential election, he is tranformational figure, and a once in a lifetime candidate. And while I'm glad he finally managed to get my fellow Liberal-Democrats off their rumps and out to the polling place, I'm disappointed that so many folks needed an inspiration figure to convince them that voting is important. Voting it the most important thing you can do as a citizen. Voting has consequences. Voting can change the world. People should have realized that 4 years ago. People should have realized this 8 years ago.
I think Obama will be a great President, but the last 8 years has left the USA in such a huge hole, that I don't think any President will be able to dig us out of it anytime soon. In the last two Presidental elections, Americans choose the Class Clown over the Teacher's Pet. They choose the "Guy they would like to have a beer with" over the nerdy boring guy who could actually get things done. Sure, Gore and Kerry weren't the most exciting fellows in the world, but if we had elected them instead of Bush, we wouldn't be dealing with ...

1) A National Debt that ballooned from $5 Trillion to $10 Trillion over the last 8 years ( We were running annual budget surpluses of $300 Billion a year under Clinton before Bush pushed through his irresponsible tax cuts ). $10 Trillion. 300 Million citizens. The math's not pretty. Our kids and grandkids will be paying much higher taxes for their entire lives as a result of the Bush tax cuts over the last 8 years.
2) An American Economy in collapse, which is threatening to take down the World Economy.
3) A world that no longer trusts or respects the USA.
4) A Justice Department and Supreme Court which seem determined to rescind Civil Rights that generations of Americans have died to protect.
5) A world in which Al Qaeda has more power and influence than Osama bin Laden could have ever dreamed of.

The last item above is the thing that really makes me angry. George W. Bush has never understood the nature of terrorism, and this has led to the deaths of at least one hundred thousand people, and has made the world a much more dangerous place. The truth he fails to grasp is that the primary goal of a terrorist is not merely to kill. Sure, the deaths of 3,000 Americans on Sept 11th was a great tragedy, but killing people is just a tactic that terrorists use. The difference between a terrorist and a homocidal maniac who guns down 20 people at a post office is that a terrorist has a strategic goal. The stategic goal of any terrorist organization is to influence the policy of large governments to suit the agenda of the terrorist organization. I don't think there has been any leader in history that has done more to advance the terrorist agenda than George W. Bush. I'm sure Bush meant well, but when you invade a country that had nothing to do with 9/11 ( which led to the deaths of at least 100,000 innocent civilians ), turn a relatively secular nation (Iraq) into a hotbed of Isalmic terrorist activity, and bomb innocent people indiscriminately ( not to mention jailing and torturing people without cause ), you shouldn't be surprised when Al Qaeda is reinforced with loads of new recruits, and Osama bin Laden becomes more popular than the USA in many Muslim nations.
So yes, I am filled with a lot of regret over the last 8 years, but I should stop worrying about the past and start to look ahead. I am extremely proud to be an American tonight. I am extremely proud to be a citizen of the world. What happened tonight is bigger than the Presidency - bigger than America. The world has fundamentally changed in a way that was unimaginable just a few years ago, and I'm very proud that America is leading the way.
There are still those in America for whom "American" means "white". There are those that think Hispanic and Asian Americans are "foreigners" and not real Americans. However, those folks don't really understand what America is about. The spirit of America is embodied by the following words which appear on a plaque at the base of the Statue of Liberty:

Give me your tired, your poor,
You huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless tempest-tossed, to me:
I will lift my lamp beside the golden door.

This is what America is all about. While most nations have largely homogeneous populations, America has always been a nation of imiigrants. We were built on the idea that once you stepped onto our shores, your race, religion, or country of origin didn't matter. We were built on the idea that people from all corners of the globe could join together to serve a common purpose. In that sense, America has always had an opportunity to serve as an example to the world. Indeed, I feel that we Americans have a huge responsibility to be a good example to the world. We haven't always lived up to that responsibility, but tonight - for at least one night - we have.
Rich