OFFICIAL: Barack Obama wins United States Presidency

[prime_timer]

Thoughts? I'm somewhat concerned, frankly. With this election we were either getting dog **** now or dog **** later, and I think we just got dog **** later.

[JValone]

As I posted in the other election thread:

One thing I will say, and this is my main concern following the major Democrat victory still ongoing: will Barack Obama rein in Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid? Those two have zero interest in working with anyone who doesn't bleed blue and they are not particularly shy about it. With a working majority will they just shove liberal bill after liberal bill down the pipeline and demand Obama sign on everything to be a good party man? Their goals are not always in line with what Obama has said, bringing the country together, reaching across the aisle, trying to get a working cross-party coalition as Reagan did, etc.

If Pelosi and Reid run amok it's going to kill any chance Obama has of endearing himself to the other side. He's going to have to compromise on certain issues to get conservatives on board, not the big ones but perhaps some smaller ones, and Pelosi in particular will not bow to anyone now that she's got all the cards.

I'm glad Obama won the presidency (I know it's not totally official yet but it's obvious anyway) but I fear what the rest of his party may have in mind. So don't pile on Jeff too much guys, he has at least a partially legitimate point. Pelosi and Reid are easily capable of blowing it in a huge way, you have to be pretty partisan to think otherwise. I'm hoping for the best.

[Smokey]

I just hope security is hella tight on him RIGHT NOW. Mark my words: the whole state of Idaho is gonna empty the **** out once this even starts sounding official, maybe earlier.

[JValone]

CNN called the security at the event in Chicago "unprecedented" so it sounds at least adequate to me. I hate even talking about the possibility of someone going after him but living in the south I understand it's a morbid reality for any minority who breaks a barrier into an office previously held only by old white men. I have confidence in the secret service, they're pros and they've kept Bush out of trouble when he's gotten a ton of hate in his direction so hopefully they can keep it up.

[Smokey]

Yep, I'm certain South Carolina will be up in arms over this, as well as a couple of other southern states. This was a big reason the rest of my family had such trouble deciding who to vote for. They didn't want someone's blood on their hands.

You're right, though. The Secret Service is just about the best damn security organization in the world. If they can't keep Obama safe, no one can.

[Coral]

*dances*

[Darc Requiem]

JV and Smokey, I know what you mean. I hope he makes it to through tonight, let alone January or his whole term.

[prime_timer]

The current card-holders in Congress do scare the ****ing **** out of me. I'm with JV on that one.

EDIT: I'm also freaking out watching his acceptance speech. It's like I'm expecting him to get his head blown off at any moment =\

[Smokey]

Man, I've had a bad feeling about Pelosi since she got in office. I hope Obama can keep her under his thumb. That woman will be big trouble otherwise.

[thegamecubist]

I watched the speech. How the American President can inspire a Canadian, I don't know, but he did.

I felt the same way prime. I was like "please dont happen please don't happen please don't happen" :/

[prime_timer]

This was really the first speech of Barack Obama's that I watched from start to finish. I think I came in my pants. I feel a lot better about being an American instead of feeling like a peice of ****.

[Nismo]

I'm also freaking out watching his acceptance speech. It's like I'm expecting him to get his head blown off at any moment =\

Halfway in, i thought a sniper might blow his head off too.

[MikeWolfskin]

The current card-holders in Congress do scare the ****ing **** out of me. I'm with JV on that one.

EDIT: I'm also freaking out watching his acceptance speech. It's like I'm expecting him to get his head blown off at any moment =\

They put bulletproof glass around them that the TV cameras don't pick up. All I have to say is Hell Yes, I never believed I'd see the day America stopped begin prejudiced! Here is to the future, something that was well wroth standing inline two hours for!

Hopefully we can all return to normal Water Cooler and War Room topics that are not about government again real soon.

[Smokey]

You guys do know that Obama and Idaho are on two sides of the country, right? For one thing, it'll take a little longer for anyone to set up anything. Still, I'm keeping my fingers crossed for the next couple of weeks.

[Lovebird]

I'm not even sure how I feel about this yet, but I'm glad it's not McCain, that's for god damned sure.

[Darc Requiem]

Halfway in, i thought a sniper might blow his head off too.

Yeah I'm finally gonna go to bed now. I needed to be a asleep at least a couple hours ago and I already knew the result, still I had to watch his speech. I was VERY nervous for him and his family when he was on stage tonight.

[JValone]

I was talking to my friend Tony just a few minutes ago and he brought up the same concerns. All the black students at our school had a big gathering outside the cluster of dorms I live in, tons of people and lots of celebrating, it wasn't planned either as far as I know. I went out to experience everything, live history and all, and the first thing Tony brought up was how he was relieved Obama made it through his acceptance speech. I had considered the possibility of someone making an attempt on his life but I didn't realize how pervasive that fear was across the minority students around here. It's sad that even on a day when they're all celebrating a big percentage is giving equal thought to an assassination attempt. Several people actually said they thought it was inevitable, or at least an attempt was.

I'm a little more optimistic than that though. The security is going to be top-notch throughout his presidency, they're well aware of the risks and will do everything they can to minimize it. The glass on the stage tonight did shock me somewhat, I guess reality is a bit more grim than I give it credit for sometimes. I hope that everybody who supported him just enjoys what they've gotten to the fullest and don't get weighed down by worry. Like I told Tony, there's nothing we can do but hope for the best. Just enjoy the moment.

[MR EPIC]

I too was expecting Obama to get shot in the head. I think we all play too many video games. :)

[Lucas]

Let me just say: I've never been so proud to be an American in probably my whole life as I am tonight.

[originalself]

I am not saying everything is going to be rainbows and angel farts from here on out, but for the first time in a long time I feel optimistic about the future.

[Lucas]

I was watching the morning news. I hadn't gotten to see McCain's concession speech because the local news decided to cut in and talk right through it. Bastards. Having seen his speech, I was actually deeply moved and it gave me a massive amount of respect for him. I think McCain's speech was easily the most gracious, honorable, and moving concession I've ever heard. I got verbally pissed when the crowd started booing each time he urged them to support the new president. He did a very noble thing.

24 hours later, and I'm still up. Came home late and forgot I need to clean house for the cable guy to come fix my broken cable box.

[Darc Requiem]

I was talking to my friend Tony just a few minutes ago and he brought up the same concerns. All the black students at our school had a big gathering outside the cluster of dorms I live in, tons of people and lots of celebrating, it wasn't planned either as far as I know. I went out to experience everything, live history and all, and the first thing Tony brought up was how he was relieved Obama made it through his acceptance speech. I had considered the possibility of someone making an attempt on his life but I didn't realize how pervasive that fear was across the minority students around here. It's sad that even on a day when they're all celebrating a big percentage is giving equal thought to an assassination attempt. Several people actually said they thought it was inevitable, or at least an attempt was.

I'm a little more optimistic than that though. The security is going to be top-notch throughout his presidency, they're well aware of the risks and will do everything they can to minimize it. The glass on the stage tonight did shock me somewhat, I guess reality is a bit more grim than I give it credit for sometimes. I hope that everybody who supported him just enjoys what they've gotten to the fullest and don't get weighed down by worry. Like I told Tony, there's nothing we can do but hope for the best. Just enjoy the moment.

Comedian's have always joked about how you want to be the second black man to do something and not the first. The first guy usually ends up dead. Every time Obama is in public from now one I'm expecting to hear an assassin's bullet. Wish it weren't the case and maybe I've been jaded by the area I grew up in but its a feeling I just can't shake.

Regardless of what happens, you are going to see a significant difference in who runs for President. I think you are going to see a lot more women and "minorities" get a real shot at winning party nominations from now on. I'm just glad that when I have kids, and they say what all kids inevitably say "I want to be President", I won't have to lie to them when I tell them that they can aspire to be President.

[kurst]

I watched it all last night and I have to say it was a ridiculously moving moment. I was so happy...I seriously loved America, after the last eight years it almost felt like we didn't have a choice anymore.

[Rensa]

It's 1 AM and I just got home. I spent all day with my fingers in my ears 'cause I didn't wanna hear people calling the results prematurely (since nobody really understands the US system at all and half of us probably thought Obama had won before anything had started).

I dunno... I'm gonna miss following this race ^^;

[Buddy Magert]

My whole night was planned to play some Gears last night but i really got engulfed in the news coverage and forgot about all that. I am truly proud to be an American. I am also proud to see Obama win in VA because it really made me feel like my vote counted. Change is what we need in this country right now and it makes me feel proud to be a American again because i honestly pondered moving to CAnada.

[Hottotty]

The next four years are going to be so damn boring without Palin around. We'll have to wait for 2012, I suppose.

P.S. McCain's speech was probably one of the better speeches I've ever seen in my life. srsly.

[Darc Requiem]

Yeah McCain's concession speech deserves praise. I hope that Obama can bring us the unity that Bush promised and never delivered upon. That won't happen unless we get both sides to work together. I'm gonna keep my eye on Pelosi and Reid. They aren't the Mark Warner/Jim Webb type of Democrats that we have in Virginia. That is one thing I like about Virginia, the Republican and Democrats seem to be able to work together for the most part.

[MR EPIC]

The next four years are going to be so damn boring without Palin around. We'll have to wait for 2012, I suppose.

P.S. McCain's speech was probably one of the better speeches I've ever seen in my life. srsly.

I completely agree in both counts.

My whole night was planned to play some Gears last night but i really got engulfed in the news coverage and forgot about all that.

Hell, many of us celebrated the evening by finishing it off with some awesome GoW matches.

[Tanooki]

Well this may surprise some who figured I'd outright attack Obama or just ignore the thread, but ultimately he isn't what I was worried about when I voted McCain. Harry Reid and even a bit more so Nancy Pelosi scare the shat out of me completely. Those two have proven to be the lowest of lowest lifeforms on the Hill. Both preaching to work with both sides, having their kind of contract with america in 2006, but once in the contract goes byebye and the republicans get minimalized to the lowest legal amount in any committee + in the house they're blacklisted from any form of debate on any bill...ever, so they just seat warm and vote and that is a disgrace. What really tweaked me about it is that they don't care, they don't want to work with people, it's just power and ego and control. They could care less about various rights, including some in the Bill of Rights, such as the freedom of speech, press and expression with such rantings as wanting to make something like the Fairness Doctrine a law and taking away the rights of union members to have a secret ballot when they vote. What the hell is up with crap like that? The first denies people how to express themselves, run their business, speak, and report the press. The second one basically allows a thug to stand over you essentially and tell you how you're going to vote and scare you into it because there would be consequences (more or less in theory.) That crap isn't right, and neither are various other whoppers too.

I hope and pray Obama has a backbone, that his so far little record in the senate isn't an indictation of what to come because he'd vote 98% of the time with his party. To me that appears like he's a wuss to his parties players and he'll let those two clowns shovel through any agenda they desire and you could only guess the years of work it would take to reverse the really stupid stuff. I knew the RNC would get hosed in the house and senate and it was a large reason for my McCain vote as with those clowns we need balance to keep it moderate, not extremist. Depending how bad they behave and if Obama goes along with it or not perhaps expect a repeat of 1994 in 2010 with a right leaning sweep to counter balance bad politics. My fear is that the USA will essentially become Canada South or worse...the USSA United Socialist States of America crapping all over what this country was founded on.



Oh and darc on your last one...agreed, those you like are considered 'blue dog democrats' They're basically left leaning socially, but moderate to conservative fiscally. They're responsible with the dollar and with peoples social well being, and those types of democrats are to be praised.

[Lizzaroni]

I'm glad Obama won but oh god a democratic majority + democratic candidate....

[Darc Requiem]

http://img171.imageshack.us/img171/9278/obamarp7.jpg

[HGW XX/7]

^I'm loling so hard.

[Smokey]

Lawl, that is so awesome.

[Lucas]

Dems just picked up four more seats in contested elections. Good times. On top of that, the FCC just opened up the FM White space between the licensed TV network spectrum for nationwide broadband access. I just came.

[Z.E.I.D.A.N]

w00t!

[Darc Requiem]

For the 2D platforming fans...

http://superobamaworld.com/

[virion]

^game's to slow paced. but nice level design.

[Spirit Icana]

Mccain's campaign went down the drain after the financial crisis hit the scene. Before that the race was toe to toe, thanks to Palin's performance at the RNC. It doesn't help that the Mccain campaign wasn't running on a clear message like Obama was ("change") and the Mccain campaign didn't understand, as pyshcology teaches, that negative ads against the opponent hurts the advertiser, not the advertised. The election became "should I vote for Obama or not" for many voters, as opposed to "Should I vote Mccain or Obama?" Mccain's campaign became about how Obama was not fit for office the last couple days. Mccain changed his message too much.

That being said, I agree with Tanooki about the democrats running everything. Pelosi had no competition in Texas. An angry emotional mom who lost her son in Iraq, and ran protests against the war, was running against her! I don't know if she was independant or what, but she's all I heard from outside Pelosi. C'mon, we can't have an over emotional mom in congress. Pelosi had the thing in the bag. That seat in the house was her's well before the election. This election had democrat and so called "history" written all over the place. Yeah, everybody is ready to make history: The end of an era. Now to see what kind of history we're talking about here. Two darn years of Obama "presence" in the senate just doesn't make me optimistic.

[Smokey]

Damn necros...:P

[Spirit Icana]

Damn necros...:P

Dubbayoo Tee Eff, yo!

(Who them freaks)