Reflections on the election of Barack Obama (November 5, 2008 - Tokyo)

How do I describe the day I witnessed the dawn of a new America? Is there any way to put down in words an accurate and true, earnest record of what I saw and experienced today? This day--and how I felt when the 2008 US Presidential election was called for Barack Obama--was almost too good, too overwhelming with joy that the system has been redeemed and faith in the process and power of the American voter's voice restored, that it's hard not to think that this hasn't all been just some remarkably vivid dream. But then, there was that speech, that speech that was so perfect in its realism. That speech in which he reminded us that though we have accomplished so much to get us this far, the real work is only just beginning. That speech that called us out for service to one another, sacrifice for one another, and a reminder that we are all each other's keeper.

Yes, we should be proud of how far we have come and all we had to do to get here; yes, we deserve a chance to revel and celebrate our success. But, lest we find ourselves forgetting what we all really got into this fight for, Barack reminded us that this day--this amazing day--is really just a chance at change, not change itself. True, real, lasting, effective, life-altering, life-bettering change will only come once we commit to following through on the incredible journey that we've only just started on in these 21 months.

This is not the end of an era, but rather the beginning of one; an opportunity for us all--not just Americans, but all world citizens--to look inward and believe in our own abilities to effect progress as much as we believe in his. Like he said, this race was won not on the strength of the party or the Washington political machine, but by the minutes, seconds, dimes, and dollars donated by millions and millions of people around the world who believe in the movement Obama represents, not just in the man we see on television.

Yes, today was just the beginning, just the start of more hard work and dedication to the cause of each other... and I, for one, have never been more ready to get to work. After all, nothing could be easier than to believe and have faith in the good in all of us. Today, and all that it represents, made that belief possible.

More thanks than I can express go out to each person who cast his or her vote for Barack Obama and for having faith in the America and the people that we can and will become. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

First polls close at 6pm Eastern - Indiana and Kentucky are first to close!!

You can follow the returns by checking out the Election Widget Extravaganza page on HuffPost: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/10/30/election-results-electora_n_139361.html

First polls closed in small city in New Hampshire

And Obama won by a landslide!! Okay, so it was 15-6 in Obama's favor in the teeny village in NH that opened its polls at midnight. But still, at least we got a landslide (any landslide) under our belts.

Yay!

http://edition.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/11/04/dixville.notch/index.html?eref=rss_topstories

Dixville Notch has spoken: It's Obama in a landslide

DIXVILLE NOTCH, New Hampshire (CNN) -- Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama emerged victorious in the first election returns of the 2008 presidential race, winning 15 of 21 votes cast in Dixville Notch, New Hampshire.

People in the village in New Hampshire's northeast corner voted just after midnight Tuesday.

It was the first time since 1968 that the village leaned Democratic in an election.

Obama's rival, Republican John McCain, won 6 votes.

A full 100 percent of registered voters in the village cast ballots. And the votes didn't take long to tally.

The town, home to around 75 residents, has opened its polls shortly after midnight each Election Day since 1960, drawing national media attention for being the first place in the country to make its presidential preferences known.

However, since 1996, another small New Hampshire town -- Hart's Location -- reinstated its practice from the 1940s and also began opening its polls at midnight.

The result in Dixville Notch is hardly a reliable bellwether for the eventual winner of the White House -- or even the result statewide.

While New Hampshire is a perennial swing state, with 4 Electoral College votes at stake, Dixville Notch consistently leans Republican. The last Democrat it picked was Hubert Humphrey over Richard Nixon in 1968.

President Bush won the town in a landslide in the past two elections: He captured 73 percent of the vote in 2004 (19 residents picked Bush while six preferred Sen. John Kerry), and secured 80 percent of the vote in 2000 (21 votes for Bush, five votes for Al Gore.) VideoWatch the results being posted in Dixville Notch »

But villagers expected the results to be close this year given Democrats now outnumber Republicans there.

The town picked both John McCain and Barack Obama for the New Hampshire Democratic and Republican primaries in January. McCain ultimately won the state of New Hampshire, while Sen. Hillary Clinton upset Obama there.

Happy New Year's Eve, World.

I really feel like we're on the eve of a not just a new year, but a new chapter, a new beginning, a renewal--a very, very, very good future. I know that a lot of votes still need to be cast and counted and I'm not gonna get ahead of myself. If anything, I realize that there is still a lot of work to be done (that means VOTE, people) in the next 48 hours, but no matter what happens after tomorrow, I hope that everyone sees this as the opportunity, the call, for a better community, a better country, a better world. No matter who wins, all sides are calling for change and whoever is up to bat next needs to heed that call, make it happen, make it work.

I voted. Period. Did you?

Make a difference. Change the world. With your one vote. Be heard. It really does count. It really is important.


A great song and video from MC Yogi with a straightforward message... VOTE OBAMA.

So, the people in Congress really do get it sometimes...

Thank you to The Littlest Gator over at Fighting Liberals* for posting this gem that lets us know that: 1) yes, some members of Congress are actually paying attention; 2) they care about what's going on with this crazy bailout and see it for the BS load of &$*%^# that it is; and, 3) are at least willing to go on the record calling out the people who drafted the bailout plan as total greedy nutjob jerks.



*Some good friends of mine have started a new blog called Fighting Liberals; a couple of the posters over there also blog at the Group News Blog, sort of my blog version of the "Daily Show" (i.e., they report info that might not be covered by corporate media, and they do it in a funny, sarcastic way, and I get a lot of my news from there). They're working on getting the new blog up and on its way, so feel free to stop by the FL and give them a look-see.

Well, guys and gals, in Alaska...

Tina Fey's eerily real Sarah Palin impersonation. And, as she so kindly reminded us, the lady being spoofed is just one heartbeat--and a WHOLE LOTTA VOTES--away from being President of the United States.

Not American? Have an opinion on who the next US prez should be? Vote here!!

Check out the cool website I just found: www.voteforpresident.org

Citizens of the world (other than Americans) can cast their vote for who they think the next US president should be. As I knew from my own very scientific and official anecdotal study of non-American voting results, Barack Obama would win by a landslide if the rest of the world had a say.

Non-Americans don't get a vote, though the choice affects everyone on Earth. I'm okay with that - they don't have to pay the same taxes (or listen to the same complaining about America and Americans) that I have to either.

But, I do still think it's interesting to see what the rest of the world thinks. I also think it's a responsibility for every American, when casting his/her vote, to take into account the rest of the world when s/he makes his/her choice for President of the USA. I know that Barack Obama is the better choice for America and the world. It seems 30,000 world citizens so far agree with me. Now, what's going on with the 50% of voting America that hasn't clued in yet???



p.s. DAJ and the Obama campaign in North Asia are putting on their big, live music fundraiser this coming Thursday in Tokyo. Barack the Vote will be AWESOME!! Will you be there?

RSVP to barackjapan@gmail.com if you're interested in advance sales tickets (3500 yen adv, 4000 yen at the door). Here's a link to the meetup event posting.