Observation of the Day!
I guess I owe my loyal readers a view of the election. Mostly I am glad it is over. Politicians spent $5.3 B winning and losing. Imagine what we might have done for the good if we weren't subjected to the never ending negative ads. It is like watching sausage being made.
In an earlier post I told you I would by voting for McCain and most importantly why. I did not attack Obama and even said I thought Obama would win. However, I don't necessarily feel distraught about the Obama victory. He has a great American story. While I wonder about the experience level, it does not concern me because I think he will surround himself with strong advisers. However, he must move to the center more. America cannot possibly afford all of the things he proposed during the campaign.
The success of an Obama presidency depends on performance, but he has a clean slate in my book. There are tough times ahead. A strong part of a presidency will be his ability to communicate, something George Bush couldn't do on his best day. If he can work in a bi-partisan way, he can really solve many problems that the Congress brings upon us. At least the Democrats did not get a super majority. I urge the congressional constituencies keep up the pressure on the fact that America is tired of the way Congress does our business.
I think McCain, Bush and others were gracious in defeat. Perhaps Obama can bring us closer together as a nation.
This election brings to mind John F. Kennedy's election in 1960. He campaigned on a new dawning for America. He was the first Democrat in the post WWll era. One of the things he proposed was reducing taxes to get the economy moving again. JFK inspired. Today, Kennedy would more like a Republican. The Depression/WWll generation gave way to the Baby-boomer generation. Obama now becomes president of the post baby-boomer generation, born after 1960. Perhaps it is once again a new beginning. I hope so. The ball is in his court.
Perhaps my vote for McCain was my last hoo-rah for the relevancy of my generation. The future belongs to the younger. Remember they someday the youth of today will be in the same "old" boat.
God Bless America!
Samuel C. Arnold
Note: To learn more about generatioal transition and history, I recommend the book Generations: The History of America's Future by Wiliam Straus
1 comment:
Interesting post and blog. Relevantly, many prominent experts and publications have pointed out that Obama is part of Generation Jones, born 1954-1965, between the Boomers and GenXers. You can find some of these leading voices talking specifically about Obama's identity as part of Generation Jones on this page (including excerpts from publications like Newsweek and the New York Times, and videos with over 25 top pundits)...
http://www.generationjones.com/2008election.html
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