Congratulations to Barack Obama!

[mcdermott]

So pleased that America has done something right for a change. The man is genuinely inspirational, and seems able to transcend the kind of divisions and barriers that have divided the US for far too long. What's more, unlike most politicians, he's not a hypocrite or a liar when it comes to talking about his own drug use:

"When I was younger I smoked pot and I did inhale. That was kind of the point!"

It's just a shame that the forthcoming recession means that he's won the contest but the prize is a poisoned chalice. (Not a jamaican chalice, I hasten to add.)

[will-c]

I nearly cried when I awoke yesterday morning to discover Barack had won his rightful seat at the white house. I devoured the Guardian all day, reading everything and anything I came across, followed by any news articles I could catch on TV. There is a new kind of hope spreading across the world.

makes me wish I could have been American for the day just so I could have cast my vote and become part of history...

[mcdermott]

Yeah, I stayed up until 4.00 watching. I remember seeing him back in 2002 or 2003 when I was in the US and thinking 'That man would make a fantastic president' but it seemed totally inconceivable. So much so, that when I was sitting on the NICE expert groups, one of the researchers there -- a left/democrat -- got to talking about politics and I told him that I really liked Obama for the next nomination, and this guy had no idea who I was talking about.

On the downside though, he's just hired one of Clinton's ex-drug warriors to be his Chief of Staff. I hope this isn't an ominous portent?

[will-c]

John Podesta, supposedly a leading authority on UFO's and even appeared on the x files. Is Barrack the man to turn America around, that I dont know as, more often than not the best we will get is an unmovable object hitting an unstoppable object. One can only hope. Its the whole martin Luther King dream that I buy into. I guess as Alabama 3 sang about mao tse tsung 'change only come through the barrel of a gun' could be proved wrong, as non violent confrontation has won the day.
I dont even think I care if Obama turns out to be Homer Simpson in the White House at least, he has broken the white mould of American politics, anything else for me is just a bonus...

[Ursula]

I have the same fears about a poisoned chalice, but right now it feels like '97 did over here...  And a president with a serious intellectual pedigree is way overdue.  Saddened by Proposition 8, though.

[mcdermott]

Weird -- somehow I accidentally hit 'modify' rather than reply, and then replied to your post as Ursula. The mods powers are mighty and  should be feared and respected. If you aren't careful folks, you might find yourselves advocating all manner of strange shit. You need to be carefully taking the advice of Optimus Rhyme

I have the same fears about a poisoned chalice, but right now it feels like '97 did over here...  And a president with a serious intellectual pedigree is way overdue.  Saddened by Proposition 8, though.

Yeah, in California, of all places? Where even their Republican Govenor, Sperminator McBain didn't support it! WTF? 

I don't know if you read Metafilter -- it's the only site other than here where I regularly post, but they've got a pretty good discussion about Prop 8.

http://www.metafilter.com

And the Prop 8 links/discussion is at:

http://www.metafilter.com/76262/Two-Steps-Forward-One-Step-Back

[Mark Gilman]

Rosa Parks sat, so Martin could walk... Martin walked so, Obama could run...Obama is running so our children can fly