What a Relief -- America Survives

I figured out why I was so relieved tonight. It's because I have spent the last six years (that's when I realized how radical the Bush administration was) on pins and needles that we were going to lose America and do tremendous damage to the world. Bush could do something monumentally wrong at any moment. But even more important was that Cheney had so degraded the American system of government that for the first time in my life, I wondered if the idea of America would survive.

Would they fix the elections? Would they make up some fake emergency to stay in power? Would they find some nefarious way to make sure John McCain won the elections? Did the powers-that-be secretly control these things? Was our democracy real? These are all thoughts I would not have entertained eight years ago. I would have found them laughable. But after seeing what Cheney and Bush were willing to do in the last eight years, it seemed that nothing was beyond them.

But it didn't happen. What tremendous relief! And joy. America survives!

As Obama said in his victory speech, it's okay to dream again. For the rest of the world to believe again. The beacon of light is back. The shining city on the hill is back. We sent a loud and clear message to the rest of the world - you are all Americans again.

We docked the ship on shore. We're back to normal now. We can have our fights about domestic policy. We can disagree slightly on foreign policy. We can go back and forth on all the issues. But the constitution stands. Some crazy neo-cons won't convince an idiot president to start another reckless war. And we can all sleep well at night again.

The idea of a healthcare debate sounds so lovely to me. We have habeas corpus back. We have re-established the fundamental building blocks of Western civilization. We have our foundation underneath us. Now, let's go forward and fight, argue and disagree -- and be the country I know and love again.

America has come back home.

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Comments

[fiorastar]

I feel the same way exactly. It took several hours--as I was doing last minute GOTV phone banking in Oregon while watching East Coast and then Midwest returns start coming in--for my guard to slowly drop. It began when they announced New Hampshire for Obama, and my shoulders relaxed just a bit as I realized they hadn't stolen it as I feared they would. Then came the announcement for Pennsylvania--and I knew that path for McCain was almost down to nothing unless the neocons stole the Western swing states and Ohio. My neck became a little less tense. Then, they announced Ohio, and I began to cautiously smile, feeling a momentum building but still butterflies in my stomach.

When we finally shut down the Obama office, and I drove my daughters over to Election Central at the Lane County Fairgrounds in Eugene, OR, the parking lot of the large complex was nearly full--something I have never seen in my 19 years of attending election returns there. People were walking towards the building quickly, with a sense of deep purpose--but still not celebrating. Inside, it was as if everyone was holding their breath.

Then...the­n...CNN called Barack Obama as President-Elect and the cheer that went up was deafening as we all simultaneously released that tension we have been carrying since 2000!!!!

And I cried with joy!

[XME]

It's certainly a relief that we made it through the election, that it proved to be truly democratic, and that more Americans saw "the light" than not, so spared us from a McCain/Palin adminstration.

At the same time, we still have some 70+ days to get through with Bush as our president, and every day that he's still in office, there is still that potential for him to screw up yet again (as he now trying to do by getting several things deregulated).

As David Letterman said tonight (I'm paraphrasing), "Am I the only one who wouldn't mind if our new president started the job early?"

[pjburns11]

Great thoughts Cenk. Love TYT. Keep rockin' it.

I had those fears too of Bush and Cheney, until that bailout went through. And then I realized they weren't after prolonging their power or global domination. It was all an massive heist. It was an elaborate bank job. They cleaned out our coffers, and we opened the vaults for them.

http://thetruthburns.wordpress.com/2008/11/02/bushs-departure-leaves-us-all-with-the-bill/

http://thetruthburns.wordpress.com/2008/10/24/put-these-wall-street-criminals-where-they-belong/

[Beca]

My thoughts exactly Cenk! For a while during this Presidential contest, I couldn't understand the overwhelming feelings of dread I would often feel, for no apparent reason. I would also lay awake thinking of the same scenarios Cenk outlined--what if Bush did something to stop this election! what if they managed to mess with all or most of the voting machines? etc.
I can now breathe again, and if feels so good! I just wish Obam would wear a helmet--just as a precaution, then I would feel much better.

[TedB]

Cenk, I hear you man! The last 24 hours have been a huge emotional release for me. I haven't wept this much since I found out that Darth Vadar was Luke's father.

[ihavenobias]

Amen Cenk.

[texanna]

Cenk, I am with you in your relief that our country is no longer in danger of going completely off the cliff. But, I would prefer that the administration focus first on restoring our Constitutional rights that have been outright deleted if not diminished by the Bushies. After we've resecured our right to privacy in our homes and our communications, as well as our habeus corpus right, then we can focus on the other things such as healthcare, infrastructure, and why not start now fixing our election system so we can avoid the same old problems in 2 years when the House has to be re-elected.

[dolphin64]

Amen, brother. You are dead on about everything we need to stand for as Americans and as people of our planet. The basic foundation of trust has been re-laid.

[Lisette]

This has healed our Nation

[newpantaloons]

Cenk, I could have written your post myself, but you said everything I would have, only better! Thank you. I stayed up until 3:30 last night, crying a bucketful of tears, and I'm having a hard time holding them back today. I guess I hadn't fully realized the stress of the last eight years. My husband kept asking me "Are you OK"? and I kept saying, "I'm just so happy"!

I am so happy, still, that we have our country back. By a landslide! Not only is our Constitution restored, the end of the war in sight, the end of Guantanamo and torture in sight, but my faith in my fellow Americans is back. What a wonderful feeling. I live in the mountains of Colorado, and it is snowing as I write these words, but I feel like it is a glorious spring day, after a long hard winter!

[faith]

Amen to that Cenk !!! We survived !! In fact, maybe we can now visit other places on the planet without feeling tremendous shame.

[jtkach]

Thank you everyone, right ,centrist and left for making yesterday a great day in our democracy. Today I personally rejoice and celebrate a great victory for my candidate of choice. Tomorrow we need to roll up the sleeves, seize the day, and get to work rebuilding what we have lost. The road is going to be long and tough but together as a nation "We Can' and will create a brighter future for our children and grandchildren.

[BP1]

Thanks for the wonderful, elegant post, Cenk. It puts a great cap on all the analysis I've read this morning.

As ecstatic as I am about the results, two things temper my enthusiasm:

First, I'm discouraged that tens of millions of people still voted for McCain/Palin! What were they thinking? It's clear from the electoral map where the bastions of ignorance and regressivity are, and starting NOW, Obama needs to use his community organizing skills to launch a sustained effort to educate and enlighten those backward parts of the country. He also needs to use the bully pulpit to shine a light on Republicans whenever they engage in the negative politics of the past, and make it so universally unacceptable that they'll have an incentive to engage in substantive debate. Ignorance and the fear that comes from it must no longer be allowed to rule the day, anywhere in this country.

Second, one recent comment that stays with me is an observation that the real "powers that be" (i.e., the very rich) allowed this result to happen so that Democrats - who are demonstrably better at governing - would clean up Bush&Co's awful mess for 4-8 years, after which a new crew of Republicans would be installed to ride the next kleptocratic wave. And that "they" made Obama aware of this very early on. Let's hope that a popular progressive uprising can derail those plans and bring real change that will last for generations.

[hopeless277]

How many wars can be started in 10 weeks??? How many laws can be changed by Executive Order? How many political moles can be appointed to career jobs? Yeah, that's right, this country is still in mortal danger while Bush is in office.

[paixa3]

FIND and READ yesterday's NY Times opinion. Your questions will be answered and NOT in a pleasant manner.

[secretarybird]

Here in England, I thought I'd drift off to sleep with the election coverage on the radio - but it was "Nessun Dorma" time over here too! And looking at the pictures on this website and elsewhere today, it struck me that the people of America have finally been liberated. A day of great joy to the world.