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That's Life: Election's Over, Hard Work AheadBy Phyllis McGuire
iBerkshires Columnist
03:24PM / Wednesday, November 12, 2008
"Thank goodness it's over," a friend said when the campaigns for presidency of the United States of America came to an end. We agreed it had been an intense and long-fought contest that tested the candidates' judgment, tenacity, courage, patience and more.
On Nov. 4, I was one of the millions of Americans who watched the election returns on a television set, eager to know who would be elected the 44th president.
Originally, I had promised myself not to turn on the TV as soon as the coverage began, only to hear commentators and political pundits analyze early returns, or drone on about what might or might not happen in one district of Florida, etc. What good would it do to learn which of the candidates had garnered 4 percent of the vote in states whose polls closed earlier than in others? I reasoned.
But, too excited to keep my promise, I tuned in immediately. Every now and then, I switched from one channel to another and yet another, wanting to find out which was reporting the most recent results.
When viewers were transported on the wings of cameras to areas outside the television studios, I was amazed at the size of the crowd that thronged to Times Square in New York City to wait for the election results. As I looked at the faces in the crowd, I sensed that the air was filled with a hopeful expectancy of things to come. It reminded me of the atmosphere on the New Year's Eve I had been among the ebullient crowd that had spilled from nightclubs and subways onto the street to count down the seconds until midnight.
Jennifer Thomas
Celebrating outside Grant Park on election night |
On Nov. 4, supporters of Barack Obama flocked to Grant Park in Chicago, hoping to celebrate his victory. Emotions ran high there, people cheering or tearing up as electoral votes were tallied, revealing Obama had won a "red" or "blue" state. And an explosion of elation and relief followed the announcement that Obama was, indeed, the president-elect.
How proud I am to be an American — a citizen of a country that not only was founded on the principles of liberty and justice for all but which has now also proven that race is not a factor in determining if a person is worthy to hold the highest office in our land.
By casting their ballots, Americans have made their voices heard and now anticipate a peaceful change in administrations. The euphoria Obama supporters are experiencing will probably ebb. But no matter for whom we voted, let us all stand behind Obama as he works to make America the America we once knew.
None of us should expect miracles, however, for there are no quick solutions to the problems President-elect Obama will inherit — a faltering economy, wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, unrest in other parts of the world; education, environmental and energy issues.
And when he asks for our cooperation, let us not complain. He will need help in cleaning house to ensure that America is once more respected by nations around the world; extends more than lip service to its troops and veterans; shows compassion for the sick and poor, and is truly a land of opportunity.
President-elect Obama has been praised for his eloquence, and while I admire his command of the spoken word, I am most impressed by his ability to remain calm and think clearly in the face of adversity. It is a quality that will serve him well if and when he is called upon to take steps to protect the citizens of the United States from forces that threaten us, economically, politically or physically.
For countless times over the past 20 months or so, President-elect Obama has ended his comments with "God bless you, and God bless America." I feel it is now time for us to say, "God bless Barack Obama," for he is undertaking a monumental commitment to set the United States of America back on the right track. |
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