snagged from conservativism

[allisnow]

Dear Obama Supporters:

Congratulations on your victory. It was a long campaign and while I am not pleased with the result I am glad to see that the system again worked as it has countless times in the past. Our nation will continue to move forward, but there are are few brief topics that I felt I should address before the hysteria over this monumental election impedes our better judgment as a nation.

Please stop echoing Obama's message about how we are One. I don't buy it when he says it and I buy it even less than that when you say it. We are a nation that is divided in many ways and will continue to be divided and this is a good thing. Our divided nature keeps us from blindly accepting change at a reckless pace. It forces us to compromise as a people and find common ground while still maintaining our unique identities. The most damning thing to freedom is a nation that is United in one mind and body. Our credo is "e pluribus unum" - out of many one; it is not "e unum unum."

Also, please stop throwing around the notion that Obama has an overwhelming mandate from the masses. While his electoral victory was impressive and his popular vote lead was also solid it was by no means what Reagan experienced in 1980 and again in 1984, or even the "mandate" Bush Senior had in 1988. Obama won a close race that people up into the last weeks though would be close, and in several states it was very close. And while we are putting away the talk about this non-existent mandate can we also put away the racist hatred that many Obama supports feel towards non-supporters? I would really prefer if I could go through the next four years without someone telling me how I am a racist for not liking Obama or how our country is racist and strives at every corner to keep the black man down. After this victory there is no more wind for those sails, because had there been some vast White Conspiracy then you can rest assured Obama would not have been elected. This election should definitively prove to you what I already know - the system works just fine and has for a long time.

To those who support Obama, I hope that your candidate earns your vote through his actions as President and I hope that my fears about his presidency do not manifest. And if they do, well, that is the nice thing about our country - elections are frequent enough it is hard for any one President to do irreparable harm in a single term.

That pretty much sums up my feelings. And it's a lot more classy than 99% of what I saw online after the last two presidential elections.

Oh, except for this: non-American friends beaming and patting the American voters on the head saying "oh good job you finally did something right"? Extremely condescending and unappreciated.

Comments

[jadestrick.livejournal.com]

Rock, babe.

My poor mom went to bed last night just terrified. Alas, her fear isn't unjustified.

[allisnow.livejournal.com]

Let's face it... the American people have elected someone as president who has virtually no record. All we really know about what he's going to do is what he has SAID. And when in contemporary American politics has the electorate ever put so much faith in the mere words of a lawyer/politician? Yes, it is rather worrying.

[asugar.livejournal.com]

No matter which way any of us voted, it's absolutely rude, condescending and unappreciated. What pissed me off even more was being lectured to on how I should vote for the last six months or so by anyone, let alone the non-Americans. Can you imagine the reaction if an American told a non-American how to vote?

[allisnow.livejournal.com]

Yeah, except Americans wouldn't bother, because like I told Rob down below, we really don't care. Have our lives been at all impacted by, say, Blair vs Brown?

[seldearslj.livejournal.com]

*hugs Alli*

I did manage to stay off the partisan bandwagon!

[allisnow.livejournal.com]

Um, I think so, although I've been crazy busy and not been spending a huge amount of time on lj. I did skim all of your 'Americans, get out there and vote!' comments, though. Because, duh ;)

[madjm.livejournal.com]

I intend to give Obama just as much respect and support as libs gave to our current president.

[allisnow.livejournal.com]

I intend to give Obama just as much respect and support as libs gave to our current president.

Ha!

But-but-but Bush is an idiot and evil and deserves to be hung in effigy! Oh wait, are we talking about Bush or Sarah Palin?

[sjhw-tolerance.livejournal.com]

Well, you know my political leanings, but I'm right there with you about the 'good job, do it right comments'. Voting isn't about right or wrong, it's about voting for the candidate that *you* feel represents your views and not what everyone else wants you to do.

[allisnow.livejournal.com]

Especially fer'ners ;)

[snoggingpicard.livejournal.com]

Awesome -- this is a really good letter. I know that I'm really excited, but I would never, ever assume those who supported McCain were racist or voted for the "wrong" candidate. Frankly, I'm just happy that so many people voted at all and were involved in this past election. :)

This letter is quite classy. Facebook statuses of my friends have not been so well-put. *hugs* How was Election Day for you? Were the lines really long?

[allisnow.livejournal.com]

No, the lines weren't bad at all. I think most people have taken to voting absentee. I usually do, but I sort of lost my ballot somewhere in the disaster area that is my room at the moment :\

[snoggingpicard.livejournal.com]

Yeah, there were a lot of absentee students here. Didn't want to bother with the lines or with re-registering for their campus addresses.

"...somewhere in the disaster area that is my room at the moment."

I hear ya. ;)

[chiroho.livejournal.com]

Well said.

And while I'm obviously not a citizen, I am a resident and found incredibly cloying and condescending the "oh you finally got it right" comments from people overseas. So very unappreciated.

[allisnow.livejournal.com]

No kidding. I'm tempted to say 'turn about is fair play' when the UK/Oz/etc elections take place, but let's face it... 99% of Americans don't give a damn who runs those countries ;)

[chiroho.livejournal.com]

99% of Americans don't give a damn who runs those countries

LOL!

[allisnow.livejournal.com]

I speak only the truth!

[alliesings.livejournal.com]

The mandate thing was what was on my mind as I watched the popular vote throughout the evening. What I want now is a survival guide for living in a socialist country. *sigh* I hope the Republican leadership learns its lessons in time for the mid-term elections.

[allisnow.livejournal.com]

I hope the Republican leadership learns its lessons in time for the mid-term elections.

You and me both, sister.

Unfortunately, I think the GOP under its current leadership is more comfortable playing the loyal opposition than the kick-ass majority.

[skydiver119.livejournal.com]

I don't like the 'you finally voted in the right candidate' comments any more than i liked the 'why did you elect that moron in the first place' ones...cause dude, I didn't elect him. don't blame ME.

However, i do gotta say, the condescending tone would still be there no matter who won...cause gloating and crowing is bipartisan.

while LJ is filtering for adult material, honestly, there are times when i wish they'd offer a 'tag this post as political' and people that dont' like being lectured and mocked and snarked at can opt out.

What's done is done and no matter who won, approximately half this country would be pissed off.

Then again, if people spent less time bickering about petty crap such as party affiliation and tried to concentrate on the greater good, we wouldn't be as frakked up as we are now.