History is made.
Let us resist the temptation to fall back on the same partisanship and pettiness and immaturity that has poisoned our politics for so long. Let us remember that it was a man from this state who first carried the banner of the Republican Party to the White House – a party founded on the values of self-reliance, individual liberty, and national unity. Those are values we all share, and while the Democratic Party has won a great victory tonight, we do so with a measure of humility and determination to heal the divides that have held back our progress. As Lincoln said to a nation far more divided than ours, “We are not enemies, but friends…though passion may have strained it must not break our bonds of affection.”
This is our moment. This is our time – to put our people back to work and open doors of opportunity for our kids; to restore prosperity and promote the cause of peace; to reclaim the American Dream and reaffirm that fundamental truth – that out of many, we are one; that while we breathe, we hope, and where we are met with cynicism, and doubt, and those who tell us that we can’t, we will respond with that timeless creed that sums up the spirit of a people:
Yes We Can.
By the way, at the Hyatt Century Plaza Hotel in Century City where the main LA Obama party was held, when the networks called the election for Obama, and then later when the new president elect spoke, the emotions careening around the ballroom were extraordinary. Some people whooped a lot, of course. Other people stood stock still as if containing a roil of feeling.
A lot of people cried. A lot of people. At some point, for example, a very nice man whom I’d never met (who I later learned was an attorney because we exchanged cards) collapsed in my arms and sobbed for a minute or two while I sort of patted him. He was a head or two taller than me, and as I said, we didn’t know each other at all, but it seemed like the most natural thing in the world. I felt like he was crying for both of us.
It was that kind of night.
Montanna voted for McCain!!!!! Now, they don’t have to join Canada.
Celeste: …a roil of feeling. …an attorney…collapsed in my arms and sobbed for a minute or two while I sort of patted him.
Since he was an attorney, as is Obama and his wife, there could be one of two possibilities: He was overwhelmed with joy that trial lawyers could run wild or he was simply trying to cop a feel–if he wasn’t gay.
Really, now. Crying over an election? Such emotion? Obama really followed the script suggested last year to Democrats: “Hearts before minds, he tells Democrats – A brain researcher says the party needs to tap voters’ emotions to win.” “The political brain is an emotional brain. It prefers conclusions that are emotionally satisfying rather than conclusions that match the data.†No logic, just emotion.
In all seriousness, a mommy government will take control from the daddy government. There, there. Do you feel better?
Let’s hope our nation doesn’t sacrifice our national security when turning attention to baking cookies.
Now, I’m feeling emotional–despair.
MAY YOU FIND COMFORT AND SOLACE HERE WOODY
Become a friend of John McCain.
http://www.myspace.com/johnmccain
Thank God Elizabeth Dole’s ‘Godless Americans’ Ad Blew Up In Her Face.
Maybe we will get our first skinhead VP in 2012 when Palin runs with Joe The Plumber as her VP.
“Maybe we will get our first skinhead VP in 2012 when Palin runs with Joe The Plumber as her VP.”
Nah – she will lead the Alaska secessionist party and become President of Alaska!!!
I don’t think McCancer’s tough. He’s a pussy Admiral’s son, so in that sense, he’s an entitled spoiled brat just like W. Also, if he was tough, he never would have made it back from Nam alive. He would have died of a blood clot from his broken leg left unrepaired for not cooperating. I don’t blame him for saving his skin, but it was rather hypocritical of the Propaganda Machine to have overlooked that and called him a hero and implied that he was tough.
Alaska: Woody, may the wolves run at your side and not at your heels!
PS. Alaskan eye doctor: Optical Aleutian.
It’s clear now that Palin will be doing Dancing With The Stars by this time next year. Palin will go back to Alaska, lose the next bid in reelection as governor, be shunned by Alaskans and end up on dancing with the stars.
I said it a week ago…
That John McCain’s “political hand” twitched like a poisoned rat.
That it was a thin branch he was hanging onto.
That he would hit the November floor like a sack of bricks.
That he was sagging like a rhino who had taken a fatal bullet.
And finally that Obama could take any swings McCain put out and give it back in spade.
I was sad that Montana went for Obama. But it was close enough that it didn’t get called until the end of the night, when some of the rural, very conservative counties came in and pushed it well into the red zone. But, in that Montana hasn’t gone for a democrat for President since 1948, the fact that so many Montanans voted for change over party was…a happy thing. It bodes well for Obama’s chances to reach out to both sides of the aisle—and the country—in the coming months and years.
And, I believed John McCain’s gracious and graceful words about his willingness to work with the new president to be.
Right now, CNN is still going after Sarah Palin’s expensive campaign wardrobe, probably trying to head her off for 2012. But, the Obama’s are fashion statements. I know that you’ll like this, Celeste.
Michelle Obama wears Rodriguez on Election night
NEW YORK (AP) – Michelle Obama’s striking red-and-black dress worn Tuesday night as her husband became president-elect of the United States was designed by Narciso Rodriguez. It was based on a style shown during Rodriguez’s spring ’09 runway show in New York.
Meanwhile, President-elect Barack Obama wore the same style dark-navy suit custom-made by Hart Schaffner Marx that he wore at the Democratic Convention, the company says. Hart Schaffner Marx makes its suits in the Obamas’ home state of Illinois.
The couple’s daughter Malia wore a red bubble-hem dress, and younger daughter Sasha wore a black dress with a bow.
Americans are demanding to know what these clothes cost!!! Aren’t they…like Palin’s?
Thanks for bringing the conversation back to essentials, Woody, and filling us in on who’s responsible for that hideous red and black monstrosity Michelle came loping out in. With the red lighting, looked like a giant red pouch on her already large middle, tied with a bib — and this Rodriguez fellow apparently charges a pretty penny for it. At least Palin and Cindy McCain looked good in their pricey duds. No media mention of the cost of that fiasco, we see.
Channeling the bitchy spirit of Mr. Blackwell here, I hope Michelle and her handlers take this fiasco to heart and note that when you’re a woman who’s so large and built like her, you have to find clothes that hide your enormous middle and large, bow legs — a belt can create shape when there isn’t much there, but not that miserable malfunction.
Obama however looked good in a suit as usual, conversely, he doesn’t look so great in casual because he’s so slight. He should take Arnold the Governator’s advice and let him show him some workout routines to muscle up those skinny legs.
Speaking of Arnold, the redistricting bill he pushed seems to have passed. While some minorities opposed it, other liberals like Bill Rosendahl were in favor just based on the fact that it would make districts more geographically sound and sensible — the crazy geographical twists and turns some districts like his have (even worse on a state level) can create some pretty crazy demographics.
Woody,
We know what all of Michelle’s stuff costs. Most of it’s very reasonable. However, the Narciso Rodriguez dress—which I really wish she’d worn without the cardigan, as it’s much prettier than you could see on TV—was a lot more expensive than her usual stuff, around $2000, give or take.
(Here are Narciso Rodriguez’ clothes on sale at Bergdorf’s to give you an idea.)
http://tinyurl.com/yw9cl5
Palin got nailed because of the hypocrisy factor, that she was busy saying she was an ordinary Joe(or Jane), and painting Obama as elite, and then meanwhile she let the RNC buy her $150 grand worth of Valentino, et al, using money donated by the real Republican Joes and Janes.
If Palin bought her own expensive items for certain events, nobody would have blinked. (Palin did look good in the clothes, though. They were a much better fit than her earlier wardrobe, and she wore them well.)
Michelle Obama is great fun to watch because she takes chances with fashion, and has her own style. (Sometimes it works better than at other times.) While at the same time, she famously usually wears very middle-of-the road brands from catalogues and chain stores, like her J Crew and Gap stuff, and even one day a Target outfit.
All of this gives a positive message to American women, communicating that they can look good too on a working mother’s budget.
Last night’s dress was, as I said, a lot more expensive than her usual garments. But if, for the convention, and election night, and the inaugural she picks a designer piece, the average woman thinks, yeah, if I could afford it, and my husband was going to be the president of the United States, hell, yes, for those amazing night’s I’d spend a little more too.
Cindy McCain, whose clothes are bought with her own money, got some carping for her super expensive outfit at the convention ($300 grand, but it was mostly the jewelry that ran up the price, so I personally thought she got a bit of a bum rap.) but other than that, I’ve never seen anyone giver her a hard time.
Anyway, generally Michelle’s clothes are in the $50 to $200 range (a few slightly more, but very few)—as has been endlessly covered.
I didn’t think I’d ever get involved in a discussion like this, but what the heck…. I think Michelle Obama is very attractive. On top of her physical charms she is blisteringly smart. I think that their family looks terrific and I am not just talking about physical looks. They look like a tight, loving family – something we all long for. (I almost feel sorry for the girls!! I thought I had it bad in a Jewish family in terms of EXPECTATIONS. Whew…I can’t IMAGINE what either of the girls will go through the first time they bring home a C on their report card…)
But most importantly – Since I work for Gap Inc, I am VERY PLEASED that Michelle Obama wears Gap clothes!!!! (I wish she would ditch the J Crew stuff – tough competitor for us!!)
Celeste, my comment overlapped with yours. Yes, Michelle “famously” wears GAP dresses like the GAP number she wore on The View (one of her better efforts, by the way, simple and unpretentious) BECAUSE everyone in her party played it up. That horrible Joy Behar did it again last week when I caught the show (yes, an occasional guilty pleasure, like watching a train collision), noting it cost $150.00. Without admitting the expensive fashions she wears for official appearances.
Palin’s wardrobe faux pas was the fault of her RNP handlers, who brought them to her in her hotel rooms, didn’t even ask her what she wanted first. They both say they shop cheap chic when left to their own devices, Palin at thrift shops and WalMart, Michelle Gap and Target — I’ll agree with you that that’s the better example to young girls, and women in general: trust your own style and fashion instincts, because looking good isn’t a matter of how much you spend most of the time. That’s one area Palin has an edge up on Michelle, not to mention her much better figure and looks. (The fact they’re both athletic and fitness advocates is a good thing, too — I hate that anorexic look.)
P. S. to Jeff — there’s no accounting for what one finds physically attractive, but clearly the whole package is more important in a relationship and yes, Michelle’s very smart while Palin’s an intellectual joke. (Although obviously street smart enough to get elected Governor.) And like I said, she’s a good example in other ways.
Do you really think it would be P.C. to think that bringing home a C is tantamount to family crisis? I was raised that way too, so I sure hope not. Isn’t that kind of judgmentalism supposed to be against liberal values, you know, valuing each child for her own worth, and her own special gifts, not some sort of homogenous, “superior” academic expectation?
I can’t believe that we’re seriously discussing dresses. I bet most of you watch “Project Runway.” A NYC client of mine is in the fashion industry and even knows Heidi Klum, so I practically know her!
Actually, Woody, I think we’re seriously discussing dresses tongue-in-cheek. But it’s disingenuous to pretend it hasn’t mattered during the course of the elections, and especially disingenuous to hear that claim from those who have played it up and then tried to claim that “Palin only got nailed because of the hypocrisy factor” as Celeste does above — and then try to put forth exactly the same image for Michelle Obama (as an average gal who shops GAP/ Target but only wears designer, flies private planes and eats at luxury restaurants when it’s necessary for her official image and schedule). If we’re going to turn clothes and price tags/ labels into an integrity issue, the two women seem to be in pretty much the same boat.
Via Talking Points Memo, this piece suggests Palin was very much involved in her wardrobe purchases:
Although, it appears there were times when she didn’t care about clothes at all.
Let’s keep in mind that Palin was the candidate, whereas Michelle Obama is just the spouse, so it would be more appropriate to compare her to Todd Palin. In which case, it wouldn’t be so out of line if Sarah Palin did buy him some clothes, too. Michelle Obama’s styling and perks were courtesy of the party by and large (what’s the breakdown between that and her private spending?) Celeste is among those who’ve noted Michelle’s radical transformations over the many months she was running, whereas the Palins had to hit the ground running. And yes, as relative redneck hicks.
The towel stuff I’ll take with a grain of salt, knowing that if you’re a woman who’s much more attractive than her peers at the PTA or soccer game, you may be in for a lot of jealousy and innuendo that you don’t deserve. Not that I can stand Sarah Palin, but fair is fair.
Right now I’m wearing jeans and a t-shirt–not because I think it’s fashionable, but because I had to do some more work that my wife wanted on what will be the greatest front door in the entire world at the rate we’re going.
Measure Twice, Cut Once Woody. Hmmm.
Sarah Palin suffered her final indignity as John McCain’s running mate on Tuesday, when her request to speak at his election-night rally in Phoenix was denied. The national spotlight also tarnished what had been a stellar reputation, after revelations about massive earmark requests and her “bridge to nowhere” switcheroo. Thsufferin, Thuccotash!