I’ve been shopping at the same grocery store for about 5 years – the Kroger on Moreland Avenue in Atlanta. Most of the people who work there are African American. Because I’m a fairly social person, I have gotten to know 5 or 6 of the staff there fairly well.
Just got back from getting groceries there. The excitement on just about every one of these faces was awesome. I know these people and I have talked to them about politics because of the nature of this election. I think very few of them would have votred for Obama if he was incompetent. I would be willing to bet few of them voted for Sharpton or Jackson, for example.
I was wearing an Obama t-shirt, and I got a high five from a kid who was about 10 years old. I almost lost it right there. His parents can now tell him he can grow up to be president – and they can mean it.
Anyway, you could cut through the excitement and pride with a knife over there today!
We did it. Well, YOU did it. I couldn’t vote, but I shamed people into it, dragged them to the polls, and was a pain in the ass to a lot of people (including, by the way, a couple black people in my office who didn’t think their votes would make a difference in Georgia!) Hopefully, I did my part, too.
Colonel Danite
It’s a happy day in America. However this tempered my joy this morning. What the hell happened to Ralph Nader??!!??
gbear
I blame Obama.
Josh Hueco
OT-Michael Crichton just died.
Stevenovitch
My joy was tempered by prop 8 passing in the liberal heartland. Ironically, thanks in no small part to a record African American turn out.
DonnaInMichigan
I know that I shouldn’t GLOAT…
But dernit, I am going to anyways…
To the Hillary supporters, thank you for doing what is good for our party and country. To the PUMA’s, who stood by, up to the end, and said, that Obama could never be elected: What say you?
To Hillary herself, I have a new found respect for you. To be able to put your Country first, by not only supporting Barack Obama, the hard work that you displayed these last few months, going out and campaigning for Obama, has left me in awe of you. I was never a supporter of yours. However, you have gained my respect.
To Rush and Hannity, O’Reilly, and other republican idjits and blogs sites, who with their horrid attacks, day in and day out on Obama, personally and professionally. You have lost your voice. Last night at approx 11 p.m, you sirs have become irrelevant.
To those citizens still in America, who only see a person by the color of their skin, not the content of their character, you’ve lost. The United States of America, have moved past your type of bigotry. And we’ve spoke loud and clear, White, Blacks, Asian, Native Americans, Cuban, Latino, Gay, Lesbian, Straight, blue eyes, brown eyes, brown haired, blonde haired, red haired ( I could go on, but you get the drift), have all stood together last night and found their voice: ENOUGH. We will no longer be a nation divided, but a country united.
To John McCain. You sir are a national hero, no doubting your great service, for many years to America. We as American’s applaud that. However, one speech does not let you off the hook. For months on end, you sold your soul for power. You did every dirty trick in the Rove hand-book, to gain more power. I hope in these coming days that you, sir, have much time to reflect on what kind of depths you reached to destroy any type of admiration that the majority of the public had for you. Not only Americans, but people within your own party.
Sarah Palin, you may of pulled the wool over the eyes of Alaskan citizens with your schtick. But BS and Bluster, with absolutely no intelligence behind it, does not work on a national scale. I hope that the Alaskan citizens eyes have been opened, and they now see, what the rest of this nation has witnessed. A woman who will do, or say anything, to gain power, without really earning it. Who will lie, cheat, claw her way to the top, and will step on anyone or anything to achieve it. However, today with glee in my heart, she is now only your concern. You’re welcomed to her. Good Luck to all of you in Alaska. Please don’t foist her on us again, we ask that of you.
This is truly a remarkable day in America. One that will go down in the history books. We all must come together, to work, as Obama said last night, hand in hand, brick by brick, not only heal this country, but to make it a better America, not just for us, but for our children and grandchildren.
May God Bless America, and may God protect our new President, Barack Hussein Obama!!!
Woooooo hoooooooo!!!!
Ed Marshall
To the Hillary supporters, thank you for doing what is good for our party and country. To the PUMA’s, who stood by, up to the end, and said, that Obama could never be elected: What say you?
I’ve spent the day very maturely, laughing at the PUMA’s and calling them idiots. I’m probably banned at riverdaughter now.
Michael D.
@DonnaInMichigan: I listened to the Sean Hannity show yesterday afternoon for the first time in a couple years. It seemed like a good time to listen. He was talking as though McCain still had a chance. It was hi-diddly-arious!
I didn’t notice a lot of outright support from the Clintons in this election. I don’t know if I can agree with you on this.
amorphous
@Colonel Danite: I caught that on Fox (NOT Fox News) live around 1:00 CST. Shep gave him ample opportunities to back off, but the only logical conclusion I can think of is that Nader must be a secret McCain supporter.
Comrade Darkness
Put all the historic firsts, change on the wind, moving speeches and everything aside. Obama has proven that he surrounds himself with competent people and on that one point alone I can feel positive about the future. The rest is icing.
amorphous
By the way…
Now what do we do? I don’t know how I am going to waste time at work without feeling the need to read 8k blogs and whatnot… maybe that was why the economy tanked? I predict an probamaductivity upturn!
Zifnab
Poll’s Closed!
There are still a few Senate races to settle and a lame duck session of Congress. But yeah, I see a surplus of posted adorable puppy pics in our immediate future.
Robby-D
Good on you, Michael! Way to make a difference. I myself live in Canada and couldn’t do much but hope for the best and encourage friends, it’s good to know that a Canadian could make a difference down there. Keep it up :)
b. hussein canuckistani
I wish Hunter S. Thompson had lived to see this. I think he despaired after the McGovern campaign was wrecked by Nixon, and he would have been pleased to see a campaign built on volunteers and small donors crush the big boys and girls.
canuckistani
I guess it’s time to resume my old handle. The battle is won, and I’ve done my Spartacus act. Obama can have his name back now.
serge
We were having a way-too-early party in the boardroom of the Charleston law firm I work in, watching CNN and MSNBC by turns, and we cleared out for the housekeeping staff to empty the trash (we cleaned the rest of the room, so’s you know, it was our mess). I asked all of them if they’d voted, and to a one each said YES!
Then, later at about 11:30, the "kid" I had mentored for twelve years since he was eight years old called me screaming and yelling to share his joy. He’d voted for the first time. (That’s better than my first vote for George McGovern!)
It was and still is palpable, this feeling that something truly wonderful has happened. I too could not be happier…it’s like a weight off one’s shoulders.
bellatrys
amorphous, this cartoon was made for you:
Election aftermath
Chuck Butcher
Michael,
thanks for the effort and heart you put into your adopted country. I hope to see you get the next step accomplished. I do believe I’d be proud to call you countryman in a more concrete meaning than the sense I have to use at this moment.
pawl
last night i was in manhattan for an election party. i left after obama’s speech. as i was walking to my car i heard shouts of "obama" coming from everywhere. people on the street, people hanging out of taxis, it was like the rangers won the stanley cup! people who had obviously no connection where standing on the street talking about the election.
today, i was in line at a store. a young african-american women with an obama shirt was in line. an older eastern european women saw the young lady’s shirt and started talking about how great it was. i chimed in with my manhattan story. the young lady said that there was the same reaction in my home town. people were driving around, screaming out the window!
apparently, there are going to be a lot of barbecues in town this weekend, if the young lady is right. there is much to celebrate!
karen marie
in my half century i have never seen such an election as this. people did not just vote for obama, they invested in a better tomorrow.
thank you, michael d, for your important contribution.
thank you, america.
Priest
Great bargains can be found in the meat section at the Moreland Ave. IGA; just down the road and across the street from that Kroger. I’m guessing there were some fired up folks in there as well.