Frank Rich: The Week Americans Reclaimed Their Country

New York Times:

ON the morning after a black man won the White House, America's tears of catharsis gave way to unadulterated joy.

Our nation was still in the same ditch it had been the day before, but the atmosphere was giddy. We felt good not only because we had breached a racial barrier as old as the Republic. Dawn also brought the realization that we were at last emerging from an abusive relationship with our country's 21st-century leaders. The festive scenes of liberation that Dick Cheney had once imagined for Iraq were finally taking place -- in cities all over America.

Read the whole story: New York Times

Comments

[marijam]

Rich Lowry says,
Even in unimaginably challenging conditions for Republicans, the ideological composition of the election was essentially unchanged from 2004. Only 22 percent of voters identified themselves as liberals. The rest were moderates or conservatives.

It is indeed, as conservatives have been insisting in recent days, a center-right country. The question is how to appeal to the center again.
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It might be that people don't want to be called liberal because the conservatives made it a dirty word. They've been "in the closet" but now they've come out and they don't have to be embarassed or worried about being viciously attacked any more.

[Vajara]

Thanks, Mr. Rich. Your coverage throughout this campaign has been right on target. You are the best and I especially appreciate your overview of this process:

"The actual real America is everywhere. It is the America that has been in shell shock since the aftermath of 9/11, when our government wielded a brutal attack by terrorists as a club to ratchet up our fears, betray our deepest constitutional values and turn Americans against one another in the name of “patriotism.” What we started to remember the morning after Election Day was what we had forgotten over the past eight years, as our abusive relationship with the Bush administration and its press enablers dragged on: That’s not who we are. "

Thank you.--You Said It for Sure!!!

[Judyisacutie]

The "real America" is optimistic and mature, diverse and unified, visionary and realistic, wise and undaunted. There is no other place I'd rather be than right here in America today.

[Oldbuck]

The thing that tickles me is listening to the Sunday morning conservative talk show bunch they are as disoriented as the Republican party . I am sure Mr Rich finds this as amusing as I do, how about a piece about this.

[SueEll]

"we looked around and rediscovered the nation that had elected him." I love that line. I think a lot of us had our doubts about who our neighbors were voting for, but cast a vote for Obama anyway -- win or lose. And, wa-hoo, he won!

[marijam]

Terrific analysis. This nation was center-right, until we weren't. Obama did win a mandate and he does need to use it from day one. Never let the "establishment" forget that they got it wrong. More than that, I think many have lost all credibility and if I were their bosses, I would consider whether its good business to continue employing so many that got it wrong. After all, who is going to listen to them going forward?

The newspapers and news magazines need to take note of their increase in readers on election day and the day after. They could KEEP a lot of those new customers if they were to stop their "left-side vs. right-side" coverage and cover, instead, what is in the best interests for ALL of us. It's time to be practical and pragmatic.

[Cyano]

Beautifully stated, love the line about festive scenes of liberation. And most of the people I know are ready, willing, and able to stay eternally vigilant from now on, now that we have seen firsthand how the wrong people can have power over us. The fact that the awful team of McCain/Palin got as close as they did to the White House should scare the heck out of us all.

[OfficialA]

No commemorative newspapers for me, thanks, but this column is one I will hold on to in my head, heart, and hands. Well said, Mr. Rich.

[iamheasyouare]

Dam n, I thought I was done crying over the beauty of what happened Tuesday night. Right on, Frank Rich.

[nonni-g]

EXCELLENT! HOPE WON! now let's get to work,eh?

[Rebecca]

Spot on, Frank. Like you, the "kid" in me has been unleashed and sees the country, our America, through newly optimistic eyes. We all won on election day.

[ggmome]

"What we started to remember the morning after Election Day was what we had forgotten over the past eight years, as our abusive relationship with the Bush administration and its press enablers dragged on: That’s not who we are. "

Quote from Frank Rich, The BEST birthday present I could ever have, MY COUNTRY BACK!

[Emerald1943]

Terrific, Mr. Rich!

This article gave me the same feeling that I had last Tuesday night! It's wonderful!!

I look forward to reading more of your thoughts!

YES WE DID!!!

[rubinoff]

The American people have spoken....we are the change we've been waiting for. Yeahhhhh.

[concernvoter]

It feels good to be able to breathe in fresh air.

[jjpound]

Watching the pundits perform was truly like being back in high school with them seemingly unconcerned with policy and focusing almost entirely on personalities and statements and misstatements taken out of context that allowed for endless and meaningless speculation. Even Obermann and Maddow contributed to this by consistently reporting "how close" the election was going to be or "McCain can still pull this off" up until the election. This of course kept ratings to a level where they could keep their jobs. This election, in retrospect, was a foregone conclusion even if Alfred E. Newman had run against McCain.

[lizr]

the lack of over confidence to me was a bracing breath of realism, as we knew we were going to lose this election to machine fraud if it was not a landslide.

I for one am SO GLAD Rachel and Keith kept people's feet to the fire and got their a$$es out of the seat to VOTE.

Or we would not be enjoying this moment so much.

I heartily disagree that this was ever a slam dunk and think it is the height of ignorance to say so. I sincerely doubt O would agree.

[Mikeeee]

So right!!