Sour Grapes turnabout
Nov. 5th, 2008 11:52 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
johnridleyIn 2000, before I'd seen what GWB had in mind for the country, I was actually close to voting for him. But in 2004 he had a track record of destroying the country, and when he won, I was really worried and very disappointed. As I expected, he just kept up screwing things up for another 4 years. We're basically about as f'd standing here in 2008 as I thought we would be when I thought ahead from 2004.
We're in the shit in almost every conceivable way; foreign policy, domestic policy, and fiscally, and the best we can hope for, regardless of who's in charge, would be to get us back to where we were 8 years ago in the next 8 years. I mean, wouldn't that be GREAT to be in that good a shape? Economically sound, not jumping at every shadow, and not in an endless war?
However, all I really NEEDED this year was "anyone but Bush" which was a given. Sure, I was behind Obama solidly, but had McCain won, I was absolutely ready to get behind him 100% and be optimistic for the future. But the McCain backers really seem to have drank a lot of kool-aid; I know they were talking crazy before the election, but now it seems like they actually swallowed the stuff. I thought they were just trying to whip up the gullible into fear-based voting. All I'm hearing from them now is basically "well, you assholes asked for it, hope you enjoy the fail."
When neither candidate has a background of executive experience, I'd think we'd at least give the winner an opportunity. Especially since the winner is probably the single most intelligent person who's won the position in decades. But it appears it's more of the same, some will say it's Obama's fault if a meteor hits Pittsburgh next year. (Seriously, they WILL. There are people out there who honestly believe that electing Obama will "bring the wrath of God down on us.")
Regarding the "sour grapes" phrase. The republicans certainly used it when democrats were asking for recounts when GWB won by the skinniest of margins amid a very irregular election, they're tasting it themselves now when they say that Obama "eked out" the largest popular vote margin a democrat's had since 1964, and a landslide electoral vote. I certainly don't wish sour grapes to anyone, but it seems like what they want is to crawl into a hole and be bitter.
Finally, I think the election can be summed up in the end that Obama's campaign was based on hope, and McCain's was based on fear. Thankfully, it appears that more people are interested in hope than in fear.
We're in the shit in almost every conceivable way; foreign policy, domestic policy, and fiscally, and the best we can hope for, regardless of who's in charge, would be to get us back to where we were 8 years ago in the next 8 years. I mean, wouldn't that be GREAT to be in that good a shape? Economically sound, not jumping at every shadow, and not in an endless war?
However, all I really NEEDED this year was "anyone but Bush" which was a given. Sure, I was behind Obama solidly, but had McCain won, I was absolutely ready to get behind him 100% and be optimistic for the future. But the McCain backers really seem to have drank a lot of kool-aid; I know they were talking crazy before the election, but now it seems like they actually swallowed the stuff. I thought they were just trying to whip up the gullible into fear-based voting. All I'm hearing from them now is basically "well, you assholes asked for it, hope you enjoy the fail."
When neither candidate has a background of executive experience, I'd think we'd at least give the winner an opportunity. Especially since the winner is probably the single most intelligent person who's won the position in decades. But it appears it's more of the same, some will say it's Obama's fault if a meteor hits Pittsburgh next year. (Seriously, they WILL. There are people out there who honestly believe that electing Obama will "bring the wrath of God down on us.")
Regarding the "sour grapes" phrase. The republicans certainly used it when democrats were asking for recounts when GWB won by the skinniest of margins amid a very irregular election, they're tasting it themselves now when they say that Obama "eked out" the largest popular vote margin a democrat's had since 1964, and a landslide electoral vote. I certainly don't wish sour grapes to anyone, but it seems like what they want is to crawl into a hole and be bitter.
Finally, I think the election can be summed up in the end that Obama's campaign was based on hope, and McCain's was based on fear. Thankfully, it appears that more people are interested in hope than in fear.
