44th

[Edmund Blackadder]

Obama elected 44th US president - Yahoo! News UK

Just read this.


I felt This deserved its own thread.

I am disappointed being a McCain fan BUT I can't help deny this shows a significant step forward in the history of the world and I look forward to seeing what 'changes'(yeah right) he implements.

Kudos to a climax of what has been a really interesting Election campaign.


FYI Obama supporters, I do look forward to the time in the near future when I will be able to say 'I told you so'

 

[EveryNiteISaveU]

told us so what? what do you THINK you know

 

[Edmund Blackadder]

told us so what? what do you THINK you know

When he inevitably doesn't live up to his 'Change' mantra, just simply the same guff rhetoric he has been spouting for nearly a year.

I have no doubt there will be some initial crowd pleasing 'seems big but actually pointless' changes made but when it gets to the big stuff, nothing will happen.

 

[EveryNiteISaveU]

well good thing you dont live here then.

 

[Relic]

I'm not sure what to say to that, BotD........do I want him to cause big 'change'?

That depends, I guess. I think both candidates hearts where in the right place, but there are good and bad ways to go about things.(easy for me to say 😛 )

His stand on energy concerns me, so does taxing companies that employ people to give middle class more tax breaks and tax credits to lowest incomes that don't even pay taxes to begin with!

My worry over taxing companies stems from my idea that companies don't pay taxes, consumers and employees do. If a company is loosing money they might make up their loss by forgoing employees raises, or even making them take a pay cut. Worse case scenario, you'll get what you see when minimum wage increases among small companies with non-skilled work forces; that is unemployment job cuts to make up for the government forced expenditure! I prefer to have a check that can be taxed to no check at all and I think alot of people think the same. Its pretty hard to think that far forward when someone is telling you they will 'give' you more of your own money. Consequence gets lost in the details 😛

He's already said that his energy plan will cost us more for electricity.

If we are to insure every child with medical coverage- which I've heard is another one of his ideas. (and a very noble one) I'm wondering where that money will come from. Will people who have decided not to have children have to pay for mine, or will the Government step in and say all children must be covered by parents (I think thats some kind of rights violation, but to be honest I don't care; I insure my munchkins anyway.)

Sounds like he wants to spend alot of tax money while making some very necessary things cost more to boot. I'm curious if he will stay true to his word about not raising taxes on the middle class. Ever since Bidden said paying taxes was patriotic my BS senses have been tingling.

On the bright side, he'll have plenty of money not being spent in Iraq if he's true to his word. Even if he's not I don't look for him to escalate any conflicts.

I wish my president elect luck, he'll need it. (I'm afraid we all will here in the states.)

 

[Airam]

Just wanted to spread my HAPPY around this faux congratulatory thread :biggrin:

 

[Edmund Blackadder]

Just wanted to spread my HAPPY around this faux congratulatory thread :biggrin:

This isn't a 'faux congratulatory thread'.

I aven't said congratulations, merely said that Obama has won and that the elections as a whole was interesting.

While I am not an Obama supporter, I cannot deny the significance of his being elected either HOWEVER, still not congratulating him.

As I said, we will see how he pans out but I really don't believe we will see much and he has been built up to such a level of expectation that there is no way he can live up to it.

 

[Relic]

I wouldn't say I totally disapprove of Obama. I'm kinda fond of the foreign policy bit..with much talking before commencing with ass whoopings as well as letting/urging other countries like Iraq to be responsible and shape their own identities.

His domestic agenda really isn't far from G.W.'s 'lets grow government' and it's that issue I need a better understanding of. As of now I'm not too fond of it, as they (government) are a bunch of money wasting, incompetent,thieving, bungel holes. Look no farther than social security and the soon to be upside down medicare/medicaid for examples...oh and bridges to nowhere and other 'make my buddies wealthy' projects.

 

[Lauryn Summers]

Congratulations to John McCain and his voters and congratulations to Barack Obama and his voters. We all voted for our country and here is our change that will come to the country. It's our country. We all voted and our votes come to a conclusion. Thanks to all who voted! It's a huge election and a huge result. We made history!

 

[Kean]

Tonight was a good night. We don't know if Obama is going to make good on the changes he has promised (although something in me tells me he will) but at the end of the day we saw history unfold. I don't think we can verbalise how significant this moment is. I watched the count with three of my Irish friends and my two American roommates and we all remarked on the new found sense of hope that Obama brought simply by being elected. Call that what you will but he does give people something to believe in again. I thought his speech was fanastic and very much one of a man who knew he had a hard task ahead of him, it most definitely wasn't triumphant or victorious which I was very impressed by.

 

[Allycat]

Like Bored of the Dead I am sort of looking forward to being able to say 'I told you so'. But on the other hand, if Obama proves me wrong about him, that's fine too.

Congratulations to those who voted for him.

 

[Kali]

Well for some reason I got quite emotional - the sight of all those Americans singing and dancing, overjoyed at the thought of a new broom sweeping away the nonsense of the Bush administration. I even shed a few tears - my inner sociologist was celebrating the victory for a black man (although I would have been more teary if that had been Hillary ....) Course it'll probably all go t*ts up in about 18 months, just like it did here after the big "Things can only get better" celebrations in 1997. Makes no difference what party it is, it always does. That much I learned from a degree in politics!

But for the moment, well done, bask in the glory, and know it could only happen in the USA. As Simon Schama said on Question Time the other night, if you think anytime soon we'll be having a Muslim man from Southall as Prime Minister, you are deluded.

 

[Perny]

I was hoping he would win, I wad really exited when I woke up this morning and read the news!

USA just wrote world history baby! FIRST BLACK MAN IN THE WHITE HOUSE! YEAH!

 

[Dancing man]

I really dont care who won anyone was better than Bush and at least history has been made with Obama.

 

[Blackloliita]

I don't live in USA, but I need to say I wanted Obama to win actually. I don't know why exactly, I think in an election it's still about looking to his/her presentation and all that. And yeah, Obama was a good speaker to me so. And from my views, McCain just looked like a second Bush actually, and I mean going on Saturday Night Live to make promotion... And than you also have his age... Obama is "much" younger than him, so he probably has more fresh ideas. At least that's what I think. And let's take a look to the vice-presidents... I mean... Sarah Palin... Yeah right 🙂! And now it's at least something special, I mean the first black president, I think that's great. And one of my pupils, a black girl, was happy about it that it was a black person, I don't know why but it gave me happy feeling.
Anyway the elections, I like them. I started about it in religion and we lost whole hour about it... Yeey elections 😀!

 

[Blondie Bear]

If you all will excuse me, I'll be digging a hole to crawl into in the backyard and researching university options in Canada.

 

[Joyce Summers]

Well, I was a Ms Clinton Supporter I will admit and I was rather upset when Obama beat her for the democratic ticket, but I have to say I was quite content with voting Obama. Sure he's made promises he might not be able to keep- what politician doesn't?? But I liked the sound of them either way, haha. And when it was announced that he had won the election I was surprised to find I had a waaaaaaay bigger happy than I ever anticipated.

Whether you were an Obama supporter or not, we've made history, and our country (and the rest of the world too since the presidential elections seem to have recently spread worldwide opinion wise if not voting-wise) should be darn proud!!


And on another note this helps us avoid the dreadful scenario of "Palin potentially one day becoming President". Which you know....TERRIFIED me

 

[Washburne]

As I said, we will see how he pans out but I really don't believe we will see much and he has been built up to such a level of expectation that there is no way he can live up to it.

I have to agree with this. Yes, from my small knowledge I wanted Obama to win so for the moment I´m happy. If it turns out good or bad we don´t know yet. We´ll just have to wait and see. But him making such huge of a difference as some people seem to think I doubt very very much. But small steps in the right direction is better than walking in the wrong direction all together.

If you all will excuse me, I'll be digging a hole to crawl into in the backyard and researching university options in Canada.

Canada seems to be a great place. Hope you´ll enjoy it. 😀 I understand it being totally frustrating right now but you won´t give him the slightest of chances? After you cool down I suggest that you do as botd and at least give it a few months before declaring USA doomed. But that´s just me.

 

[Blondie Bear]

The only thing that will keep us from being (in my opinion) doomed is if there's still too much infighting in Congress to get anything done. Otherwise, America as I know it and love it is going straight down the toilet. That's my opinion, anyway, and I'm just as entitled to my opinion as anyone who holds the more "popular" or "politically correct" view.
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Edit:
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The Kinslayer agrees: Of course you are. Did I say anything different? I´d said the same thing if McCain had won and if someone who wanted Obama to win had reacted the same way you did.

No, YOU didn't, but I've been living in an environment that is so anti-diversity-of-thought that it makes me sick. The people around me seem to honestly believe that theirs is the ONLY right way to think. I'm not really allowed to discuss MY opinion, because I'll get screamed at for being ignorant, obstructionist, or a myriad of other epithets. My opinion IS NOT VALID, according to these people, and it gets VERY frustrating. So, no, that comment wasn't directed at you, just a venting of the spleen, taking advantage of the anonymity of the Internets to say what I really want to say to my co-workers and students, but can't.

 

[Skanky Vamp]

The only thing that will keep us from being (in my opinion) doomed is if there's still too much infighting in Congress to get anything done. Otherwise, America as I know it and love it is going straight down the toilet.

I agree! Well, I am holding out hope that Obama will be true to his political Chicago roots and say anything he has to say to get elected.. maybe alot of his talk was just that. I still hope. Keep hope alive, Bear! It aint over yet.

But it is good to see so many other peoples speaking of the 'progress' America made, and as our President said it was an 'awesome' moment in American history. I do not deny that.