Dan Froomkin’s always invaluable column today has an interesting roundup of opinions on what Obama’s victory means to the people who voted for him. He says it boils down to “a call for a restoration of American values, pre-Bush.”
The New York Times also has this comment in today’s lead editorial:
His triumph was decisive and sweeping, because he saw what is wrong with this country: the utter failure of government to protect its citizens.
There’s a lot of talk now about how important it is for Obama to act in a bipartisan manner. That would be great. But the Times quote highlights how extreme, how bigoted, how reckless, and how fundamentally corrupt the once-proud Republican party (it’s not called the GOP for nothing) has become. Bipartisanship is a two-way street, and the Republicans are not interested. John McCain’s concession speech was noble, but he was not speaking for the congressional Republican party, let alone its base.
I love Barack’s intelligence, eloquence, commitment, character, and mastery of the issues. But the attributes I think we’ll all come to prize as he begins to get things done have been much less touted: his pragmatism and his toughness. Don’t forget he’s from Chicago, where politics is still a bare-knuckle affair. Keep your ears open. You’ll hear the Republicans squealing by February 1.
Then we can get on with the Restoration.
Good luck over there! There’s a very important local election here in Scotland today. It’s billed as Scottish Nationalism against London hegemony. But to be honest, I was more interested in your outcome! There are so many beautiful countries to visit, all made no go areas by your halfwit scumbag president. The thing that amazes me is that idiot can get in with no popular mandate, stick around for 8 years, bomb, murder and kidnap with impunity (all in the name of religion), make the world a more dangerous place and then just walk away, to spend his millions enjoying a life of privileged freedom. Roll on Obama!