So as many of you may have guessed, my dad writes a bunch of this. Mostly due to my lack of muscular development in my fingers, this should not detract from my contributions to this blog in general. That being said, dad is now jumping up and down with glee now that Mr. Obama has won. Seeing as I am only 5 months old, I have not yet formed my political views. What I can certainly say is that my mom and dad are WAY into Mr. Obama. And now, my dad…
As I write this entry into Cooper’s blog I watch Senator McCain concede to Senator Obama in the 2008 Presidential race. This is extremely cool.
I once had a conversation with a woman who had been born in the early 1900’s. I was amazed at the amount of progress she had witnessed in her life. At times wishing that I had lived the life of change she had experienced. Stories of automobiles, depression, prohibition, and the amazing change in New York over the past (roughly) century.
Today makes me realize that her life, although incredibly impressive, was hers. This is mine. I have been in New York only 9 years and have been a part of two of the most important events in United States history; 9/11 and the election of the first African American President. I will regret only one thing and that is not going to Rockefeller Center to take pictures for the night. (the crowd was amazing!) The crowds as I passed around noon were unreal.
Let it be known, I voted Obama. My wife (“mom” here on the blog) voted Obama. No questions there.
That being said I have a tremendous amount of respect for Mr. McCain. I have thought all along that if the tides went the other way and McCain was El Presidente I would be supportive, just not as HAPPY as if Obama had won. Here are a few quotes that really moved me and support my theory that he would not have been a bad kind of guy. (Even though he is a Republican : ) )
“[Brack Obama was]Inspiring the hopes of so many millions of Americans who had once wrongly believed that they had little at stake or little influence in the election of an American president is something I deeply admire and commend him for achieving.”
In this dads humble opinion this could not be more accurate. As a 32 year old I can fully attest to the lack of interest exhibited by not only myself but my circle of friends in my 20 – 28 range. The prevailing attitude of “I can’t make a difference” was profound. The sheer volume of voters this time around truly goes to show that we have turned a corner in this regard. I can only hope that by the time Cooper reaches voting age that he realizes the importance of the process and takes advantage of it to its fullest potential.
Another fantastically admirable quote from the senator McCain:
“I have always believed that America offers opportunities to all that have the industry and will to seize it. Senator Obama believes that too.”
You are damn right he does. And so do I. As a small business owner, and believer that I choose my own destiny, this could not ring more true in my ears. Small business literally runs our country. Without the millions of people just like me out there, our country would have a huge gaping hole where its innovation should be. Not only am I proud to be a part of that grouping I am thrilled that Mr. McCain would single this out in his speech. This further proves my previous sentiment that he is not at all a bad kind of guy, just not our next president.
Switching gears for a moment and seeing as I cannot utter a sentence without calling to attention the comedic value of something (this post largely excluded) I would feel remiss for not noting the Snoop Dogg influence on our general election:
“Pres. Theodore Roosevelt’s invitation of Booker T. Washington to di-zine, [quick pause and correction] dine at the White House was an outrage in may corridors.”
Man, “Snoop talk” literally drives me insane. But I will concede that if our presidents are integrating the “talk” into their speeches then hey, it is definitely me that is behind the times. I cannot help but to laugh at the fact that McCain used the parlance of Snoop Dogg to communicate his admiration for Obama.
As I listen to his speech though and think about what he is saying I cannot help but to be struck by one more comment he made:
“But I won’t spend a minute of the future regretting what might have been.”
Democrat or Republican, this phrase sums up the whole of my life. I respect Mr. McCain for everything that he could have been and do admire many of his values. That being said, in the end, I am, and always have been, a firm Obama fan. Do I hope Copper follows in our footsteps in this respect? Yes, of course every parent hopes their offspring follow in their footsteps however my greater ambition for him is that he can draw inspiration from the facts and make his own decision.
I am happy to have been alive for, and voted in, this election. I hope that when I am prodded by an eager young lad as to the highlights of my life I can point to this post and say with all certainty that I was there, I was excited, and the world was a buzz with the prospect of change. Here is to a new regime and looking forward to what comes next.
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