The U.S. has way more interesting elections
November 6, 2008
That’s sort of a crime, don’t you think? They have two major parties, and the candidates vie for supremacy until it is down to two presidential candidates and their running mates. Then those two groups campaign for over a year, and then on election night, every possible station is glued to the election and they bust out some sweet technology to make all this shit that much cooler. To top it all off, at the end of the night, both the winner and the loser give solid, stand-along speeches that actually make you nod your head, tear-up, or just feel proud.
Canada has four major parties (yes, I count the Greens as a major party) they campaign for a couple months, and then with a record low vote, we elect an idiot and his gay-hating friends. The election night didn’t even have a good representation of what was going on, and I ended up using the Internet to find a better breakdown of what the hell was going on. I don’t recall any speeches that actually struck a chord with me, and I’m a God-damned Canadian.
This shit is bananas.
This article has three goals. I’ll try and stay on target.
First, congratulations to America for having record-level voting counts. The fact that people waited up to six hours to vote sort of stands on its own. It seems that last night, the people of America impressed not only me, but the world. In a country where everyone has the right to vote, everyone actually voted. Thank you everyone for actually taking it seriously. Canada should be ashamed for it’s record low voter turn-out from our own election.
“In a democracy, people get the government they deserve” – truer words never spoken.
Secondly, congratulations to California for choosing a new group of people to oppress. For those un-aware of what I’m talking about; a proposition (Proposition 8) was made in California to ban gay couples from being able to become married or have their marriage recognized in the state of California. This means that if you are a married gay couple, and move to California, your marriage is not recognized. Proposition 8 has succeeded, and human rights just took a step backwards. I find this atrocity almost ironic given what happened that night with the presidential election.
Oh I’m sure another proposition will be made to strike out what has happened with Prop 8, and I pray that it does, but putting that aside, the fact that anyone would try and oppress anyone else’s right to express their love sickens me. I hope that one day people will realize that sexual orientation, genetic history, colour, race, income level and social stature are not scape goats for oppression.
Until that day, I hope that everyone who voted ‘yes’ for Prop 8 are diagnosed with cancer and die slow, agonizing deaths. They deserve no less.
UPDATE: So apparently Florida and Arizona also passed similar bills (Proposition 2 and Proposition 102) defining marriage as a union between a man and a woman. There’s two more states who’s population needs culling.
Third, despite what CNN wants us to believe, those were not actual holograms. It’s a sweet tool they used (live film editing with computerized models and such) and I want everything to be done like that, but it’s just not the case. a friend of mine was having a massive freak out over the whole thing, and started calling it ‘Palpatine-ing’. I think this is by far the best way of describing it, and look forward to more of this crazy stuff in the future.
Lastly, and on a much lighter note, congratulations to Barack Obama for winning the election and becoming the United States 44th president. Bonus points for happening to be not white (he’s not a pure black, but fuck it’s still amazing), and inspiring a country. Even I was moved by his acceptance speech, and I’m not even an American. From America. To quote a favored musical artist of mine: “Finally, we’re not assholes anymore.”
Though I have not followed the entire campaign footage and speeches and all the rest, I maintain that I’ve got a solid judge of character.
McCain, when he wasn’t being strung about by ideals that I don’t think he totally believed in, he was a good man. His concession speech actually moved me more than any of the trollop that he had been saying throughout it all. That was the real McCain.
Obama fills me with hope. I said to my friend one night that he could be lying through his teeth about everything he’s saying, and I’d still vote for him because of his ability to fill me with that quiet hope that he seems to emanate. Thankfully my ability to read people leads me to believe that he really wants to fix his country, and I think that he can do it so long as people help. Let me assure you people that if this man is assassinated, there will be a civil war so destructive, that America won’t know what hit it.
A new bar has been set in the United States, and I hope that unlike recent years, the people of that country can finally live up to their country’s name. I pray to whatever listens that America can move in a direction that makes it a country to be respected, not feared.
How can a man who gives respect knuckles do any wrong?
That’s right.
America, we have come so far. We have seen so much. But there is so much more to do. So tonight, let us ask ourselves – if our children should live to see the next century; if my daughters should be so lucky to live as long as Ann Nixon Cooper, what change will they see? What progress will we have made?
This is our chance to answer that call. 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 doubts 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.
- An excerpt of Barack Obamas victory speech from November 5th, 2008 – Source
Categories: Personal
Tagged under: Barack Obama, civil rights, hope, politics, United States, voting