As you may have heard, Barack Obama was officially sworn into office this past Tuesday.
Does anyone else feel like the Autobots regained control over the Decipticons? The eight year vice grip that Bush Jr. and co. had over the country feels much like how the Decipticons would have run the country - lacking care about the planet and depleting our scarce resources, war mongering, overall deception.
And then Optimus Prime and the rest of the Autobot clan stormed the White House. The Autobots, stewards of humanity, guardians of Earth. Anyway, I'm going to have to look into this analogy a bit further. Some things don't jive. For instance, Bush Jr. does not have the leadership or mental capacity to play the part of Megatron. But I definitely see Dick Cheney as Starscream. Then again, Hillary Clinton in no way resembles the hot, chick Autobot. On the other hand, Condoleeza Rice for sure is a robot in disguise.
Hhmm.
I just did some searching on this topic. Sure enough, there is already some online content about Transformer-American political party parallels. And I also just found the coolest t-shirt (already purchased) since I used to be a Sexual Ninja. So my idea isn't unique. Who cares. The collective intellect recognizes Obama as Prime. "Democrats, roll out!"
Anyway, a GreensandBrownseast coast correspondent provided some exclusive coverage of the mood in Washington D.C. over the weekend and leading up to Tuesday:
"2mln people. traffic in virginia was light this morning. but most people started the day at 4 am to get into the city. parade starts at 2:30. vibe in city has been fun this past weekend. everyone generally in a good mood. i thought that was gonna help me get some action but some things never change....."
(He is obviously not sold on Obama's "change" platform).
One botched oath and one thrilling inaugural speech hammered home that this is real. Really real. And now, the hard part begins.
I now offer a post mortem on Barack Obama's historic presidential election win. Well, not really, I just wanted to share some links.
I didn't get the opportunity to see the announcement live so I dedicated several hours to learning of how the various networks made the announcement. There is nothing quite as moving as watching Obama supporters at Grant Park in Chicago countdown in unison for the polls to close on the west coast and then erupt in euphoria when the victory was announced. I haven't found a clean version of that so I have omitted it here.
My favorite call of the election was actually from Comedy Central. Jon Stewart and Steven Colbert teamed up to cover the election live. This was actually the first one I watched when I got home.
You can actually see Stewart choke up and fight back tears. While this isn't Walter Cronkite informing the nation of John F. Kennedy's death, there is a certain weight to this moment as Stewart is just barely able to maintain composure on a comedy program. Obama's pending victory at that point was obvious and all that was needed were for west coast polls to close to announce the official result. Still, considering the magnitude of Obama's victory, there was obviously a huge disparity between knowing that he would win and actually learning of the desired conclusion and sharing it with a live audience.
I want to believe that Colbert gets emotional too, but I may be talking myself into that one. Colbert's ultra-conservative TV persona are so over-the-top that it is difficult to pinpoint moments when he breaks from character. Either way, it was personally satisfying for me as I have watched these hosts' shows religiously over the last couple of months leading up to the election.
Below are Electoral College results from the last two presidential elections (sans Alaska, Hawaii). You would think that a young black man would be polarizing to the country, but not with this man. His words captivate and challenge; America answered the first challenge. Virginia, congratulations on becoming a blue state.
2004 Electoral College results:
2008 Electoral College results:
Lastly, some key footage from the real victors of the 2008 Presidential election, Saturday Night Live:
Words uttered by a slightly inebriated gentleman on my way home on MUNI Tuesday night. He raised his brown paper bag and toasted with his companion; a pre-game drink en route to a post-election celebration. All those with eitherBarack Obama paraphernalia or an "I Voted" sticker acknowledged each other and smiled as if to say, “We did it.”
This was followed by fits of spontaneous applause among the passengers on our train. Outside, we could hear honking car horns on the streets, a sound normally reserved for impatience and annoyance, overtaken for one night by jubilation and elation. It was more than an excuse to celebrate, and still more than genuine happiness. These were the sounds of ownership, a realization of having participated in the most dramatic change this country will undergo in our lifetime, a real sense that America had won. "We did it."
I recently blogged that I have an affection for times when the inhabitants of my city, San Francisco, all move in unison. Some type of holiday event usually influences uniform participation, but there are instances when it is caused by something of greater magnitude. And as a city with a famously homogeneous (and liberal) viewpoint on most social matters, there is a call for this great city to serve its purpose as trailblazer when the challenge arises. On Tuesday, San Franciscans heeded the call and hit the polls in support of Barack Obama. On Tuesday night, they watched Obama's win together and celebrated afterwards as one.
I shared the Obama victory announcement with classmates in my UCB Extension class. Our professor was kind enough to update election results on his projector throughout the course of the class. It only took until halfway through our session to learn of the historic moment. The entire class cheered when we saw that Obama had secured the necessary 270 electoral votes. I felt a slight tug in my heart and was a little surprised by my emotional investment. Until that very moment, I had solely looked forward to a Democratic candidate replacing the incumbent party from the nation's highest office. At some point during his campaign, Obama's eloquent rhetoric transformed into a sincere call for change in my eyes. The official announcement of his win erupted a dormant joy that had been unknowingly seeded in me. I shared this sentiment with my classmates. And every corner of San Francisco cheered. "We did it."
We watched Senator John McCain’s gracious concession speech that fully cemented the inconceivable result. I was very much moved by his poignant words and seeming desire to return to be a dutiful servant. McCain can now use the remaining years of his office to rebuild a tarnished image borne of a campaign rooted in mudslinging and one almost unforgivable mistake. He is an honorable man, and I think we will see that again going forward as evidenced in his amazing speech.
Once I reached my stop, I walked around my neighborhood to consume myself in the palpable energy. Bars were packed even by weekend standards and election coverage replaced the usual ESPN highlights on flat screen televisions. Even hours after the landmark announcement, folks were still high-fiving and gleefully recounting the night's happenings. "We did it." I thought that Bill Clinton's victory over George Bush in 1992 must have fostered a similar energy among young people. That election is in no way remotely comparable to what happened on Tuesday, but for young people in a metropolitan city, the sense of change must have been inspiring.
I concluded my night by sharing a personal moment with the President-Elect. I watched Obama’s victory speech online in my bedroom. I felt an overwhelming flood of emotion and pangs of joy usually reserved for my family. They are truly words that inspire, words that challenge, words that bind us.
“A new world”, I will keep coming back to this indelible phrase for the tenure of Obama’s presidency. It is a lofty challenge, and one that can’t possibly be lived up to by policy changes. But I’ll remember the sincerity with which those words were spoken. I think the real takeaway is simply the fact that someone actually chose those words to describe an election. In that sense, a change has already swept over this country. Obama is the leader of a new voice; one that recognizes that it shouted for something fresh. Things are different. Young people are connected. San Francisco cheers. "We did it."
