Barack Obama Elected President!

[KLN]

While I'm thrilled about Obama being elected, this Proposition 8 thing is really raining on my parade, damn it!

Just knowing that Prop 8 even exists is upsetting. I mean, don't get me wrong... I'm not pro-gay marriage -- simply because I don't understand why any gay couple would want to enter into a religious union under a religion which calls their very existence an "abomination," but at the end of the day, we should all have the same rights. Every. Single. Person. Gay. Straight. Black. White. Man. Woman. It should be the same across the board. Why should we be stripped of rights just because the majority of a state decides that they're to homophobic to grant equal rights? What if the majority suddenly decided tomorrow that they wanted to change their mind about allowing black people to vote? Would that pass too... just because? What if the majority decided to suddenly nullify all votes from black Americans because they simply saw fit to do that? Would that be allowed to happen too... just because?

You can't go around granting rights to people and moving the country forward, then allowing it to take ten steps back by saying, "Oh... just kidding! You don't really have those rights after all. Silly us!"

I just can't help but shake my head at this entire thing. It's so disgusting. Tonight is a perfect example of how the country has come so far, yet in other ways, it still has so far to go. Let's hope for the sake of all Americans that we never stop progressing.

[allatwitter]

I'm not sure I know what you mean. He flipped 7 red states while holding on to every blue state that had gone for Kerry in 2004.

[jimmyk311]

Did you guys read this?

Obama & The Coming Military State

http://www.realjewnews.com/?p=300

[Tishy]

Kenny, I completely and 100% agree with you. Very, very well said

[Roman]

Two words.

Thank you.

Thank you all my brothers and sisters of every color and creed, who have come to this board, who have joined our family, and who braved the lines and the polls to effect real change and tell the people or the Earth "Yes. This is One Nation Under God, Indivisible, With Liberty And Justice For All."

Those words mean more now than at any time in our nations' history.......because we looked past race and skin color, and looked at what we believe as a people. Whether you voted for President-Elect Obama, Vice President-Elect Biden, Senator McCain or Governor Palin, you excercised the right that so many Americans have fought, been injured, and died for throughout our history.

And now, the sun has risen on a new day. A day where those who have came before us all now shake their heads in agreement, and say in one strong, steady and unyielding voice.......

Yes They Can.......And They Did.

God Bless You All, and Thank You.

--------------------

[bandbfan]

He did worse in AR, TN, and LA. And he only did a point or two better in places like MS and AL. I guess I thought he'd do better there because of the AA turnout. And after all of the talk of "battle ground," he did the same as Kerry in Kentucky and West Virginia.

I'm an Obama supporter so I'm not trying to take away from his win, I'm just finding some things interesting.

And looks like Ted Stevens is going to win again. Says a lot for the people of Alaska.

[Jess]

What a wonderful scene on the news last night and this morning, hundreds of thousands of people celebrating an election.

By the way, I've really enjoyed meeting all of you on this thread and chatting with you. I'll miss you when it goes away. I only watch one soap now -- Y&R -- and only watch it sporadically so I probably won't be talking to you much in the future. This posters on this thread, even those I disagreed with, were so very intelligent and so engaged that it was pleasure to visit here every single day.

[SteveFrame]

I'm just glad Tennessee got it right. Makes me proud. LOL

Even with that I am totally shocked that he did as bad as he did here and that the Independents did as bad as they did. No one here was putting up signs at all. And many of us went to the polls and voted Independent this time. My sister and I both voted for Barr as we didn't like either candidate. But at the same time many here changed their vote from Democrat for the first time in history. My Mom's family are strong Democrats and would never dream of voting Rep. but my Mom's 2 remaining sisters and her brother all 3 voted for the Republican candidate this time - something that I never dreamed would happen.

I have been saying for months and years now how our nation continues to divide and the stupid Republican and stupid Democrat parties are at the heart of it and just causing more division. I sat last night and looked at the Electoral Map and noticed that the nation is split right down the middle. There is a sea of red right up the middle dividing the east and the west that went mixed blue and red. If that is not symbolic I don't know what is.

At no other time in American history do I find any point where the nation has been divided over issues as much as they are now. I don't even think it was this bad before the Civil War. As I have said numerous times over the last few months watching politics these days just reminds me so much of the old saying - "A Nation Divided Against Itself Can Not Stand."

Sadly I think that is what we are coming to more and more. I am just thankful for the Independents who voted this time around for Nader or Barr and sent a message just like I did that we didn't want either candidate the big parties vomited up this time. They were both poor candidates and either one of them would and will make a bad President.

My grandfather always told me that whether I liked the man in the office to always respect the office and Obama will get my respect as President. But at this point in my life I doubt any candidate from the Rep or Dem party will ever get my vote again until some changes are made. I totally hate both parties and have totally lost all respect for them and the damage they have done to the US. When I filled out my ballot this year I sent a message. I voted Ind. all the way down the list.

All I hope is that for 8 years all I have heard is wait until the Democrats are in control and see how much things change. I heard that when the Dems took control of Congress that things would change - when they didn't they said that the Rep President was holding them back or that the Rep still in office were holding them back. Well the Dems have pretty much full control now so I am anxious to see how quickly this big change that has been promised comes about.

Forgive me for being skeptical, but I have heard it all before from both the Republicans and the Democrats and in the almost 44 years I have lived on this earth - not one time has it come true. I have yet to see one person who is elected into office in my lifetime actually live up to any promise they made to get them there.

[Scotty]

You guys need to read this ...

Link: http://www.yaledailynews.com/articles/view/26265

[SteveFrame]

Oh I forgot to say one other thing about Tennessee. One of the big things that hurt him here was out Democratic Governor. The Dems have been in control here for the last 4 years. They all ran on a campaign of change 4 years ago saying it was a time for change. Today many of those people that voted for that change regret it big time. For the most part Tennesseans hate our Democratic Governonr who is pushing for an addition gas tax in a state where we already have one of the highest gas taxes ever. Under him he has pushed for higher food taxes while the Rep. have pushed for a lower food tax. He has completely dismantled the State Health Care system pushing all Senior Citizens off of it and forcing many people who were getting benefits under it to give up their homes and move to nursing homes. He has incited more law suits against the state than any other Governor ever, and in addition has brought about a new health care organization to fight against the state for the rights of the individuals cut from the program. And those are just a few of the highlights of hurt inflicted upon the poor people of the state via a Democratic Governor and Democratic Controlled State Congress. Last night Tennesseans couldn't get rid of the Governor but they sent a message - they gave the Republicans back control of both the State House and State Senate.

And gave the Rep. Presidential candidate one of the best victories in the state of Tennessee in a long time. Obama actually did worse than Kerry in Tennessee.

I just think Obama had things stacked against him in Tennessee and even though most hated McCain as much they send a message that they voted change once and weren't ready for any more change.

Tennesseans can't afford any more change.

[Scotty]

Here is a little side note to this.....although the U.S. territory of Guam cannot vote for President and has no voice in the Electoral College, every Presidential election year, the citizens of the island vote in an informal straw poll.

Here are the results:

In addition to D.C. and the 50 states, the U.S. has nearly two dozen overseas territories. Most of them are tiny uninhabited islands scattered throughout the Carribean and Pacific. However, five of them are populated--American Samoa, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. All five of them, as does D.C., elects non-voting delegates to the U.S. House of Representatives. This gives the House a total of 441 members. While the non-voting delegates cannot vote on actual legislation, they can be assigned to committees and debate issues on the House floor. All five of the territorital delegates are up for election this year, although results are slow to come in.

Anyway, those five territories, unlike D.C., cannot vote for President, and are not represented in the Electoral College. However, the people are American citizens and the territories are part of The United States of America.

Keeping up that thought, here is what American Samoa's House Delegate had to say about Obama being elected his, and our, next President:

I'll get off my soapbox now.

But I just wanted to point this stuff out.

Forgot to add that the territories can vote in Presdiential primaries, just not in the general Presidential election.

[Roman]

http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/politics/...ll.reaction.cnn

Colin Powell.

[Darcy]

... and Bill Ayers finally speaks.

Ayers Interview

The thing that drove me most crazy was how some vocal GOP supporters would quote Bill Ayers as saying on September 11 that he had no regrets and wished he would have bombed more. Anyone who read the NY Times articles (which investigated the Ayers and Obama associations fairly to my satisfaction) would know that he never said that and he certainly didn't say it on 9/11 which was when the interview was published in the paper so obviously he would have had to been interviewed BEFORE 9/11. And he said he wished he would have done more. He never mentioned bombing and when I read that in context I assumed he meant he had done more to stop the war in a more proactive way instead of a reactive way and he does clarify that is exactly what he meant. Obviously I'm not defending Ayers, just the truth.

[MTSRocks]

God, everyone was in tears last night where I watched the election. What an AMAZING night! I bet a lot of people took a personal day off today lol.

[Wales2004]

From what I can tell, McCain did better in six states than Bush. He did 1% better in Tennessee, Oklahoma, Alaska (where you'd think Palin would have helped more), and West Virginia. He did 5% better in Louisianna (maybe Jihndahl helped) and Arkansas was his biggest gain of 11%.

He won AZ by 1% less than Bush which is bad considering that's his state. The closest he was to Bush in the rest of the states he won was -2% in Kentucky. I don't think anyone realistically expected Obama to be competitive in an Appalachian state so the fact that he remained fairly close to Kerry is actually more of a minor victory since by the primary results, the media made it seem as if he'd be lucky to get a single vote.....and he of course flipped some states.

The whole margin of victory is remarkable since he basically beat McCain 2 to 1 in electoral votes and he was +7 million in the popular vote.