Textphish

This has been by far the most interesting campaign pretty much ever. I’ve never been involved in politics before this; George Bush and his White House seemed, for the past eight years of my life, to exist elsewhere in the world. And yet as I went off to college and left the small town where I went to high school, the events of the nation managed to catch up with me.

Just last year, around July sometime, I was approached by an old classmate about Barack Obama. At that point I was nowhere near as politically active as I am now. I had beliefs, but I hadn’t put them into action. I had drive, but no direction. I had ideas, but no one to carry them to the White House. Then, I went out for Thai food with Nick Hudson, a pal of mine that had been dedicating his time to lobbying for immigration rights and endorsing Obama for the presidency. We sat, ate spicy dishes of noodles and rice and tofu, and connected, for a moment, through an obscure politician I had never heard of before.

One year later, in November, I cast my vote for the man I believe will carry those ideas I had to the White House. I cast my vote for the man that seemed, above all else, to focus on things that the current administration could have cared less about. He reached out to the middle class and those that had been suffering, bearing the burden of an administration that catered to the oily wealthy. I watched him carefully, eying his demeanor and the way his campaign managed itself. There was one supreme difference between Obama and the Republican bid for president that simply SCREAMED to be noticed: and that was fear.

For eight years, we have been fed nothing but fear tactics from the current administration and its party. Terrorists will get us, up the ante with airport security. Terrorists will get us, check every Middle-Eastern American citizen. Terrorists will get us, fear your neighbor. The world is not safe without the Republican party, because terrorists will get us. Terrorism is everywhere. Murder in the streets. Black people shooting respectable white people. Dirty Mexicans taking our jobs. Gay people will end the world.

And then came Obama. Here came a campaign that refused, for all intents and purposes, to lower itself to the sleazy fear tactics constantly shelled out by the current administration. Here came a campaign that for the first time in eight long years actually wanted to DO something about the shitty turn of events in the US. Here was a senator that resoled his shoes instead of spending hundreds of dollars on a new pair. This man was the real thing.

It has been a long, hard eight years for everyone. There will be no great cultural legacy that Bush leaves when he exits the Oval Office. There will be no good times had by all to remember under his reign, and there will be no tears shed for the man when he goes. Resounding in his wake will be a sigh of relief and tumultuous applause for anyone, ANYONE but him. He has spent the lives of hundreds of Americans, torn apart families from the shores of the Pacific to the shores of the Atlantic. He has ripped this country into two parts that Republicans like to argue about which is more “American” than the rest with his lust for war. One of my fondest-remembered teachers once told me, “What he’s doing is making a name for himself in the history books.”

Well, he did. He will go down in history as one of, if not the, most hated president in the nation. Unfortunately, serving oneself before country does not get you anywhere. I hope, as I hope for nothing else, that this man will be haunted by the scarring he made on our country’s back. I hope that he remains awake at night with the faces of men killed and mangled in battle under his name and his dastardly belief that his war was “ordained by God”.

I hope that his god will save him, too, because I can tell you, the other gods of the world are all like, fuck that shit.

It is my hope that, through all of the division that has happened and the breaks and the tears and rips in the seam, our country will come together not as Democratic and Republican, but as one nation as we are described to be, a nation of human beings working together to achieve a common goal, to better the people, to work for good.

It is now, more than ever, that we realize this. Tonight’s election is not about who wins and who loses, although much later I’ll probably be screaming differently over the air, but about what happens to us in the future. Will we have made a decision that benefited our future? Will we have invested wisely in our choice? I do hope so.

For now, one hour and twenty-six minutes remain until the first polling stations close and begin shipping in their numbers. The final long haul of the race will have begun, and we will light up, tune in, be merry, and cheer our candidates on.

To Barack Obama, your bravery is paramount. My best wishes for you and your family, and my deepest, most sincere condolences for the loss of your grandmother.

To George W. Bush, your reign will end, and I, among so many, will be glad of it.

To Senator McCain, who has done his best, I am thankful for your military service and the time when you actually WERE the Maverick you claim yourself to be. Congratulations, you’ve gone far.

To Mr. Biden, my best wishes to you and to your son.

To Ms. Palin, read a goddamn book, go back to college, and please, go ahead and run for president. We need a good giggle.

To my nation, my beloved country, good luck.