Election thoughts

So, It's day 2 with President-Elect Obama (President Obama has such a nice ring to it) and I'm just getting around to talking about it because I'm at a conference in Orlando. I had to leave to come down here the morning after there election, and have been busy conferencing until now.

But, I now have a moment to breathe before dinner, so I thought I would reflect a bit. To begin with, I am so happy and still in a bit of disbelief. I have to say that despite the fact he was leading in the polls and possessed an impressive grassroots organization and even though he seemed to have truly captured the imagination of the public, I spent all election day thinking it could still all go horribly wrong at the last minute. I mean, it's not like that is unprecedented, and lord knows I've been burned in the past. And early on CNN was killing me with those returns and those charts with all the crazy voter categories and that map with vote totals going all the way down to the county level. I really liked the map once things started to turn, but the early returns were worrying me. But, the forces of good triumphed in the end, and that's all the matters.

Here's some other stuff:

• Someone on CNN mentioned this interesting fact: the candidate with the better military record hasn’t won in the last 5 elections: Bush over Kerry and Gore, Clinton over Dole and Bush the elder.

• Also on the CNN front. I'm kinda torn on the holograms. They were freaky, but kind of grew on me. I mean, are holograms really that different than talking heads on a TV screen? Also, it's led to so many "help me (Barack Obama, will.i.am, etc.), you're my only hope" jokes. Also, I rather enjoyed Wolf and Anderson saying "now joining us live via hologram..."
  

• I can’t believe the anti-gay marriage amendment passed (not only in FL but in CA too). I just really don’t get this issue. How does a gay marriage diminish a straight one? Gay marriage does not impinge on the rights of straight couples or take anything away from their relationships. And if it’s an issue of faith, I don’t get why people think that the tenants of their particular faith should be put in the constitution. I mean, that’s like a bunch of Christians saying were down with Jesus, but the Jews aren't, so let's put "Jesus is the son of God" in the constitution, you know, just in case the Jews want to name another Messiah sometime. To me, this issue is no different from the laws that used to prevent blacks and whites from marrying. How do people not see that? Being that I am neither married nor gay, the issue doesn't affect me directly, other than we just put something in the constitution that takes rights away from a specific minority group. That's just disturbing...
  

• I also can't believe that Ted Stevens got re-elected immediately after getting convicted. I mean, thanks to Palin, we already knew that Alaska was messed up, but good lord people...

• I love that there will be little kids in the White House again. I just hope the press (and assholes like Limbaugh and his ilk) don't go all Chelsea Clinton on the girls.
  

Oh also, thank God this election is over. Two years of campaigning, ya'll.

That's enough for now. Yay Obama!