Done and Done!

Hey America, buddies, remember when we woke up yesterday, and today, and Barack Obama is still the next president of the United States? Remember when it happened so quickly and so decisively and without any dirty tricks? No caches of hidden Republicans were discovered. No red-alert terrorist warnings to keep people from getting out the vote. No hanging chads or touch screens that automatically move a blue vote to a red one. No Supreme Court or electoral wins and popular vote losses. By 8:01, west coast time, we had a new president. And, he's our president. He's thoughtful, charismatic, well-spoken, fair, and consistent. So, pretty much the opposite of the last eight years. The wars and recession seem less daunting, less terrifying when you know the man at the helm has a steady hand, and an even steadier mind. Sure, there's still that damn urban/rural split. There's just so much religion in the country. And, the Republicans did a very good job connecting rural Christians to that damn 'family values' campaign that revolves around abortion. It's a very generational thing but if anyone can shake that alliance I think it's Obama. Hopefully we can start seeing a shift in the debates from the same head-butting issues to a focus on solutions not to the problems we argue about, but solutions to their root causes. If there was better sex education and programs to pull people out of poverty, there would probably be less abortions. But, that's not at all my point right now, I'm getting sidetracked. What I want to say is that the awesomeness of the Obama election is that is FINALLY shifts Americanness to the rest of us. The American story has centrally revolved around that cowboy image. It's a very rugged, hero sort of tale, full of bootstraps and guns and manliness and God and white people and apple pie and farms and money (lots of money). Now, don't get me wrong, there's nothing wrong with any of those things. There's nothing wrong when all of those things are embodied in one person. UNLESS it's at the exclusion of the rest of us. And it has been. Being American hasn't meant being black or Latino or Asian or Native American or gay or young or poor, unless you have a fantastic story to tell that ties you into the rich white dudes at the top. If you were a war hero or you made yourself rich or you go to an Ivy League college from an inner city high school, that's when you're on the radar. But not anymore. Now the story about the rest of us isn't focused on a violent crime rate or our sexual immorality or the sturdiness of the glass ceiling or our godlessness. Now there's hope, there's symbolism and there is undeniable momentum to put front and center those millions of Americans who have been the backdrop of a powerful minory. We live in a mixed race and mixed income and mixed age neighborhood. Obama signs are everywhere. Everywhere everywhere. This area of one of the most diverse parts of Seattle, I think. And the consensus here is incredible. And, that consensus was nationwide. We all did this with our eagerness and enthusiasm and, for many, hours and hours and hours of volunteering or dollars and dollars donated. Putting this all into words is a sloppy experience but you all know what I'm talking about. You all watched McCain's eloquent concession speech and Obama's perfectly-put acceptance speech. You watched it, you were in the streets, or screaming in your apartment, or tearing up (you know you were). And, as Americans, our hearts all felt proud (maybe for the first time in a long time!) and eager and f-ing full of love at the same time. And, I've never felt more American or more excited to be a part of this great country.

(Um, and P.S., I've always done an eeny meeny miney moe to figure out if I should buy the PI or the Times. The Times endorsed slimeball Dino Rossi so that will never be a dillemma in my life again. Ever.)