tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22267600.post2015394006761377690..comments2023-07-20T10:30:43.820-05:00Comments on Musings of a Minor Mennonite: Post Election WrapupDan Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08387429717617727003noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22267600.post-65610504138978350442008-11-06T11:33:00.000-06:002008-11-06T11:33:00.000-06:00Great wrapup Dave. I wonder what would have happe...Great wrapup Dave. I wonder what would have happened if McCain 2000 had run in '08, instead of McCain version '08. I guess we'll never know...Dan Shttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08387429717617727003noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22267600.post-7375145683547357312008-11-06T07:28:00.000-06:002008-11-06T07:28:00.000-06:00What a wonderful wrapup Dan! I'm so happy. Your m...What a wonderful wrapup Dan! I'm so happy. Your mentioning of the kiddos in this and the Smile Politely column really brought it home. Incredible!!<BR/><BR/>You are right about the "ordinary American as president". One thing that is so striking about Obama is how easy he makes it all seem...his relationship with Michelle and his daughters is so real and so lovely to see, and simple comments like the puppy mention in his speech Tuesday night make is all so personal and "ordinary". But, as you said, overall he's simply not an ordinary person. Not to elevate him to superhuman status, but it does take a special person to do what he's done and is doing. It's quite a load to bear the hopes of millions and be the symbol of a generation! What a dude and what a time!<BR/><BR/>I feel very sad for John McCain...certainly not because he lost the election, but because of how much respect he's lost in the eyes of so many Americans and those around the world. I've always liked and respected John McCain for his personality, his character, and his willingness to (seemingly) not toe the Republican line. But I hate that he befriended those in the Bush machine and the far right who were so cruel to him in 2000, and how he seemed to change in order to please them. I've heard more than one pundit hypothesize that the fall of the "real" John McCain began when he talked at Liberty University in the spring 2006, and I'd have to agree. John McCain is a better person than this campaign showed, I think. He's not Sarah Palin or George Bush or far right, but those are the sorts of people he had to sadly align himself with over the past few years in order to please the red staters, and that's now how most of the world will remember him. As you said, his concession speech (and his most recent SNL appearance, I'd submit) showed a glimpse of the true John McCain that has been hidden behind the Rovian campaign McCain. I'd like to remember him for the pre-campaign '08 John McCain instead of the bitter old white guy McCain that pals around with the religious right and the so-called "values voters". How embarassing for him to now forever be linked in history with Sarah Palin...a now-tarnished legacy of a legitimate American hero. <BR/><BR/>But, he's old news at this point, and soon Bush will be as well. What a challenge it will be for Obama and all of us to overcome the challenges we have in front of us, but it certainly will be interesting...and, dare I say, fun...to watch. Hope and positivity are beautiful things!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22267600.post-33776910554088927932008-11-05T19:07:00.000-06:002008-11-05T19:07:00.000-06:00Hey Crock,I didn't get that from McCain's speech, ...Hey Crock,<BR/><BR/>I didn't get that from McCain's speech, but I did hear someone proclaim today that we finally live in a color-blind society. I thought, hmm, if we lived in a color-blind society, we would treat Obama's skin color like we treat eye color, and we are not there yet.<BR/><BR/>Bob, if you mean the election will set back race relations between racists and the rest of the society, then I would agree this is a major setback. Otherwise, I have no idea what you are talking about.Dan Shttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08387429717617727003noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22267600.post-1078710933922691972008-11-05T17:45:00.000-06:002008-11-05T17:45:00.000-06:00I've never seen a man elected for so little, by so...I've never seen a man elected for so little, by so many, in such a short amount of time. All because he throws out the word "change" without ever stating what kind of change. <BR/><BR/>His presidency will set race relations back a while, but hopefully we snap back out of it after his term.Robert Sievershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06073575336019621976noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22267600.post-66177681623463902132008-11-05T11:57:00.000-06:002008-11-05T11:57:00.000-06:00I'm not sure I agree with you and the pundits that...I'm not sure I agree with you and the pundits that McCain's concession speech was all that graceful. I was offended by him saying that African-Americans have reasons to feel proud at Obama's accomplishment. That just perpetuates the "other" meme. All Americans can feel proud that finally a man is judged by the content of his ideas and not the color of his skin. We all are diminished by racism, not just African Americans.Crockheadhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08410758631825372736noreply@blogger.com