6 posts tagged “obama”

I realized the day after the election that my entire adult life, George W Bush has been the President, and we have been at war in Iraq.

I was 16 when the Twin Towers fell.

I was 17 when I sat and watched the Shock and Awe in my US Economics class.

I was 19 when I voted for Bush's second term.

I was 23 when I voted for Barack Obama to become the 44th President of the United States.

My Uncle recently said to me, "It feels like The Dark Ages have ended, and that this is the beginning of The Enlightenment."

I can't wait to know what it's like to be a responsible, politically conscious American Citizen in this new age. This new time. This new movement.

Obama is going to be the next President of the United States.

I stayed up until 2am watching MSNBC's live stream online, and CNN's live stream on MSNBC's commercial breaks. I stayed on Twitter until the very moment I went to bed. I talked on Google Chat to my friends in SF.

Although I was thousands of miles away from what was happening, I was right in the middle of it.

Thank you, Internet.

It's been interesting observing this monumental election on foreign soil. It's been incredibly eye opening to see how much people in the UK care about our next President - not just because it's topical, but because it truly does affect them.

Sure I'm living in a different country, but I care very much about what happens in my home country for multiple reasons:

I was born and rasied there. I lived in California for 20 years of my life and am an American citizen.

My family lives there. My friends live there. My Internet friends live there.

I care about the United States enough to vote and pay attention every single day to what is going on there, because it is my home. A home that I may need to move back to one day.

I care about its safety and its politics because what if I need to return to California and raise my kids there?

I care about the safety and the quality of the place my parents will grow old in.

I have so much to say about Obama, the reactions to him becoming the President-Elect, and why he got in.

Am I proud that the USA have elected a black man? Yes. Of course I am.

Am I proud that we elected someone with a diverse background? Yes.

But what makes me the most proud, is that we have elected someone who's views reflect most views and most of the  concerns of the American people. Someone who is real, and understands what it's like to struggle to afford to go to college.

I am proud that we made the choice, as a nation, to elect someone who stands for hope and to take a chance on somebody new. Somebody with new policies, new ways of thinking, and a new respect for the people that make up the United States of America that, I don't believe, Washington has seen in very long time. If ever.

Do I think it is insignificant that Barack Obama is African-American? No.

I find it moving, hisotric, and representative of what America is really, truly about.

But what I think is even more significant can be found beyond the color of his skin and the origin of his name.

It's in his words. It's in his actions. It's in his intentions and in his soul.

I'm proud to be an American. I've always been proud to be an American.

I just don't think that for the past 8 years America has been proud of itself - and that is the change that we will see under President Barack Obama's administration.

Well done, America. Well fucking done.

 

HAPPY ELECTION DAY!!!

Have you had nervous diarrhea all day, too? The shakes? Spontaneous sobbing? Panic attacks?

I know. It's rough. I started drinking at 8:45am, and not even that has eased the, eh, unease I feel.

However, I feel excited. I feel pumped. I'm trying my best to stay up to 2am until the swing states polls close, and we're still about 2 hours away from any of the polls closing...so now I'm just sitting here, checking Twitter, The Huffington Post and CNN like a madwoman while watching a live stream from MSNBC online at the same time.

In other news, it's been a weird day.

There are a lot of changes happening in our household. They're all positive, they're all exciting...but as it is with all things exciting and positive...they're a little bit scary.

(Please do not email me and ask if I'm pregnant.)

I'm starting to figure out that when it comes to my relationship with Iain - the Universe is always talking.

In our life together, if we both open up our eyes and ears and listen to the way the wind and the current is pulling us...we can do no wrong. We can't make a mistake. Are there mistakes? If your intentions are true, can you really fuck up?

I realize this is sort of cryptic...but my mind is just a bit overwhelmed. In a warm, fuzzy, scary, exciting sort of way.

Oh, and one more thing....

OBAMA 'O8!!!!!!!!!!!

I am a very proud, and excited (expat) US Citizen: Today I got my absentee ballot in the mail.

This is a miracle on many fronts, as:

1) I sent in my request to have my ballot sent to me overseas about two weeks ago

2) This was mostly so my mom didn't fill in the McCain/Palin bubble for me and forge my signature. (JUST KIDDING! I KNOW YOU WOULDN'T DO THAT!!!!....ha....ha...eh.)

3) They had to PROCESS PAPER WORK and MAIL ME a letter INTERNATIONALLY. Three things the government isn't exactly speedy with.

I feel responsible, and totally patriotic. Sure, I may have abandoned the state of California and perhaps voted for Bush's second term and MAYBE I voted for Arnold Schwarzenegger BUT BY GOD I AM GOING TO SET THIS STRAIGHT.

I AM VOTING FOR OBAMA IN '08 AND THERE AIN'T NOTHING YOU CAN DO TO STOP ME OR CHANGE MY MIND!!!!!!!

O SAY CAN YOU SEE THAT, BITCHES!!!!

WOOOOOOOO!!!!!

On a less agressive front, if you are an American expat and are confused as to how you can have your ballot sent to you, the Overseas Vote Foundation is the website I used, and it was quick, free, easy, and straightforward. I'd donate money to them if I weren't so fucking poor,

OK, family. I know I'm already about 2 seconds away from being excommunicated from The Fam - but I ask you to avert your eyes, ears, and Republican hearts now.

(I love you.)

So, I wake up this morning, disappointed that stupid fucking Channel 4 did NOT broadcast the presidential debates last night like they said I would and IGNORED my Tweet asking them (GREAT customer service, guys) and check CNN to find out what happened during the debates last night.

This is what I see.

I put my hands up in the air, do a little dance, and clap feverishly.

Out of pure curiosity I go over to Fox News to see what they had to say about the debate. You know, the first debate in this monumental, historical presidential election.

What do your eyes immediately go?

CHINA'S FIRST SPACE WALK!!!!!!!!

And, oh yeah, "Debate tackles economy."

And, oh yeah, "McCain is glad Obama thinks he's 'right'."

Politics has always be en one of those things that I've shied away from.

I was still in high school when this war started. I was only 16 when the Twin Towers fell.

I knew I was angry. I knew I felt sick to my stomach what was happening. All of the sudden that crap that went on in the mystical, frightening "middle east" was on our soil. I didn't understand it, and mostly, I think I still don't understand it.

In 2001, I was thankful that George Bush was our President. He was our savior. Our cowboy. He stood in front of us all, and said that he'd get the bastards that did this to us. To our people. To New York. To all of us. I wore MIA dog tags for a missing New York firefighter. His name was Peter Lagone. My mom wore one with his brother's name on it, Thomas Lagone.

In my simple, young mind, I though that we should just trust the President. I was angry, we were all angry. Bomb the bastards. I truly felt that way. Bomb them. They can't touch us. Better them than us.

We went to Afghanistan. The Taliban. Osama Bin Laden.

Then, almost two years later, I remember sitting in my Economics class, and our teacher turned on the TV so we could all watch the Shock & Awe. The song "Bombs Over Baghdad" popped in my head. The bright, lime green flashes of light reminded me of when I was 5, watching what was happening in the Golf War.

I tried not to think of the people that were dying in all the fireworks. Then the bell rang and I was over it. We walked out of the classroom, more concerned with how many credits we needed to make up so we could graduate.

When I was 18 I registered as a Repuiblican at the same time I signed the petition to get Gray Davis out of office...outside of a Target.

After we had been in Iraq for over a year, and it became clear that maybe there weren't those WMDs after all, I became a little suspicious.

We were at war. I wasn't quite sure why anymore. The anger I felt because of 9/11 had faded away. I supported the troops. I knew that much. It wasn't their fault, they were doing their job.

Come 2004, it was time to vote for Bush or Kerry. I felt like we needed to be out of Iraq. However, Kerry was a jackass. Edwards seemed like an overpaid weather man with bad hair. When they spoke, I didn't believe them. Was it the Republican in me that hated them, or did I just not trust them?

I voted for Bush. I voted for him on the notion that this was his mess, his war, and he was going to have to fucking clean it up. I didn't want Jackass and Weatherman coming into office with their fake hair and lies, and try to clean up something that was far greater, and had far more secrets than they knew about.  

Slowly I really began to wonder about Bush. The troops. Rumsfeld. I got tired of being a Republican.

I think was really did it for me was the gay marriage issue. How in the fucking world did they not see that denying gay people the right to marriage was unconstitutional? It still blows my mind. How, HOW do you DENY someone ANYTHING because of WHO THEY LOVE? Do you really care THAT MUCH where someone's dick goes? How they get off? Who they cuddle up to at night?

And why do you care about that?? OH. That's right. Some mythical guy who can turn water into wine and wore Birkenstocks. Sure, he was a lovely guy, but I thought he taught people about love, and peace. And I'm also pretty sure that old ass book that tells you one man is not suppose to lay next to (or in) another man is just that: OLD AS FUCK.

Don't talk to me about being Green and Global Warming and tell me that the "state of the union is strong"  and expect me to take you seriously when you still tell people who they can and can't fuck. Or try to tell me what I can or can't do with my uterus.

I eventually registered as "Decline To State".

After moving to London, and after really getting involved and realizing how much I cared about feminism, and just equality for everyone (except stupid people) I realized what a fucked up mess all this Republican, Democrat, Bill O'Reilly, Ann Coulter bulllllshit is.

On my way home from the fucked up Feminism conference I went to in Newcastle, I started really thinking about politics. I was on fire. I didn't agree with everything those hardcore, ridiculously hardcore feminist said...but I knew one thing. We need a change.

Desperately, desperately need a change.

I walked into a bookstore at the Newcastle train station. I looked for any magazine or book that wasn't about Britney Spears or the confessions of a hooker...and then I saw Hillary Clinton's smug little smile staring at me from across the aisle.

Growing up, I was taught to hate Bill Clinton, and to hate Hillary even more. I remember thinking that he was slime after the whole Lewinsky, cigar incident, and thinking that Hillary was a moron for staying with him. Now, I realize that I don't give a shit. I don't care about who people fuck or what their relationship is like. I think in politics people tend to care too much about that stuff. ("I FUCK MY WIFE!"...5:45 in the video. The rest of is is Bill Maher being a misogynist asshole.)

I started to read Hillary's book, and realized that she was much more human than everyone thinks. I read about her family, how she grew up, her time in law school. I read about her views on Medicare, and how involved she was in Bill's presidency. I'll be honest and say I haven't finished it, I'm about half way through Bill's first term, but I had read enough to know I believed in Hillary.

I decided to vote for her back in July.

I had to ask myself if I wanted to vote for her because she was a woman, or because I thought she would be the right person for the job. The answer is both. As I said before, we need a change. A big one. It's absolutely RIDICULOUS that we haven't had a female leader yet. Hillary is the closest we're going to get for a very long time, and I know that she's the right person for the job. I feel it in my bones.

On the contrary, if Condi Rice was running, I would NOT vote for her. Yes, she's a woman. No, I don't think she's right for the job. But, you probably just think I'm racist, and that's why I'd chose not to vote for her, right?

My politics have changed dramatically., but I changed them on my own. There are things that I care very much about. I care very much about womens rights, and you know there's no way in HELL Hillary is going to reverse Roe vs Wade.

I know she made some lame voting decisions in the Senate. I've been told everything about Hillary from the fact that she's a criminal and a fake, to a communist. For the record, I'm not a moron. I know politicians are dirty, and I don't expect any less than that from the Clintons. They've probably killed people and hid their bodies somewhere at Camp David. To be honest, I don't care. I suppose this even gives them street cred. Maybe they even have their own gang signs.

I've been told Bill Clinton was a horrible president, granted I was very young while he was in power, but I don't recall any wars, any drastic financial crisis...only a stain on a blue dress.

At the end of the day, I trust that Hillary is going to go in there and kick ass. It's the best of both worlds for me, she's going to tackle the issues I care about (universal health care, civil unions -not the same as gay marriage I KNOW-, getting our troops out of Iraq, stem cell research) and she'll be breaking the highest glass ceiling there is by doing it.

I'm sure Obama's a great guy. I'm sure he's a great politician. I'm sure he'd probably do well as the President. But just not now. Not where our country is at the moment.

I've seen him talk, and I just don't believe him. I don't get excited by what he has to say, or how he says it. Call me stupid, but I need to feel something when someone who wants my vote talks to me. Obama talks...I feel nothing.

On the contrary, when Hillary talks I get goose bumps. I get excited. I BECOME SEXUALLY AROUSED at the thought of her giving a State of the Union speech.

I suppose the bottom line for me, is that I've made up my mind who I want to be my President.

I don't feel the need to swap statistics, or voting histories, or secret facts with you. I don't want to hear about some book that was written that proves why Hillary is a commie or why Obama is inexperienced. I don't care. In politics, I really don't believe there is any truth. I don't take anything for fact. I go with my gut, and take in as much information as I can understand, and try to form an opinion about something, which I feel is as close to the truth as I can get.

This is why I am voting for Hillary Clinton in 2008.

This is why I'm Decline To State.

I am not Democrat. I am not Republican.

I am simply an American, who has seen and experienced how the rest of the world sees us. It's not pretty, at the moment. We're in a bit of a mess. We need a clean up crew. We need a change.

We need some ovaries. Women get shit done.