Congratulations, Obama

[ydoaPs]

Even FOX "news" is now saying Obama won. Good job.

 

Other big wins: Elizabeth Warren won, Todd Akin got legitimately raped in the polls, and Colorado became the first state to legalize marijuana.

 

Also, Maine legalized gay marriage.

 

 

Man, are some conservatives going to be PISSED about this election.

[iNow]

You missed a few. Colorado, Washington, and Massachusetts legalized marijuana. Maine, Washington, and Maryland legalized same sex marriage.

[Ringer]

And god will hate America again. Personally I'm very excited about that part, it means he'll stop watching me and my wife at night. It's really been ruining the mood.

[Phi for All]

Congratulations, Mr President. Sorry we couldn't give you the House. I sincerely hope you can get more cooperation from Congress so we can progress.

 

And please, don't send any Feds to Colorado for a while. Just give us time to work this out and show the rest of the country that schedules should change.

[ydoaPs]

I sincerely hope you can get more cooperation from Congress so we can progress.

 

It's his second term; hopefully, he'll learn how to use his Veto stamp and wear it out.

[zapatos]

I am very happy right now.

 

With the volume that the right speaks with it often seemed as if the whole country was going backwards. I am pleased beyond words that America has shown tonight that rhetoric and religion will not overcome rational thought and compassion.

 

Congratulations to the USA and to people everywhere who hoped for this outcome.

[iNow]

I am pleased beyond words that America has shown tonight that rhetoric and religion will not overcome rational thought and compassion.

Well, not this time, anyway. </reluctant pessimism>

[CaptainPanic]

On behalf of the rest of the world, I'd like to thank the Americans for being a little reasonable and giving the least bad guy a slight majority of votes.

 

It makes a big difference.

[hypervalent_iodine]

A secondary congratulations should also go to Tammy Baldwin. It's comforting to know you guys aren't all totally insane.

[imatfaal]

I refuse to be pessimistic today. My faith in humanity has been restored just a little bit.

 

If you are as leftie as me you gotta love the fact that the Republicans have already started the backbitting

 

Immediately after the result was called on Tuesday night, Jason Whitman, the GOP chairman, expressed his frustration at Akin in a tweet, which read: I just want to say a quick thank you to @ToddAkin for helping us lose the senate

 

Good to see that both Akin and Mourdock got booted, the USA gets it's first openly gay Senator, the frighteningly bright Elizabeth Warren gets in, all in all a pretty good lots of news to wake up to.

 

Congratulations.

[swansont]

And god will hate America again.

It turns out that Sandy, which arguably helped Obama get elected, was a pre-punishment from God for Obama getting re-elected. It hit all those liberal states on the east coast.

[CaptainPanic]

It turns out that Sandy, which arguably helped Obama get elected, was a pre-punishment from God for Obama getting re-elected. It hit all those liberal states on the east coast.

If we extrapolate this, taking into account Sandy and Katrina, we could conclude that the political orientation of the president determines with 100% certainty where the next hurricane will hit. The Gulf coast is safe for 4 more years.

 

Also, it seems that one should vote for the party that you hope does not win (people in Mississippi vote Republican, hoping for a democratic victory so the hurricane will be deflected towards the East Coast instead of the gulf coast).

 

I am probably over-thinking this.

[imatfaal]

I know it is a vain hope - but I would love to see the example set during Sandy (eg by the Pres and Governor Christie) of bipartisan pragmatism carried on. Four more years of petty partisan political point scoring will leave the country in a sorry state

[hypervalent_iodine]

I know it is a vain hope - but I would love to see the example set during Sandy (eg by the Pres and Governor Christie) of bipartisan pragmatism carried on. Four more years of petty partisan political point scoring will leave the country in a sorry state

 

It would sure as hell be helpful in congress. Maybe Obama can actually get something done if the house of reps decides to cooperate this time around. I'm mildly hopeful that the fact this is Obama's last term that they'll be more willing, but who knows.

[ydoaPs]

Also, Maryland passed the statewide version of the DREAM act.

[Moontanman]

I am quite frankly surprised, it seems the powers of darkness aren't quite as all powerful as i feared.... but you should hear the wailing and gnashing of teeth locally....

[ydoaPs]

Unfortunately, although he was kept out of the vice-Presidency, Ryan wasn't voted out of office.

[JohnB]

It would sure as hell be helpful in congress. Maybe Obama can actually get something done if the house of reps decides to cooperate this time around. I'm mildly hopeful that the fact this is Obama's last term that they'll be more willing, but who knows.

 

No offence, but I doubt it. He had the lower House numbers for the first two years of his first term and didn't seem to do much with them. (But that could be a wrong impression from far away.)

[ydoaPs]

No offence, but I doubt it. He had the lower House numbers for the first two years of his first term and didn't seem to do much with them. (But that could be a wrong impression from far away.)

 

He was also trying to be bipartisan. There's always a chance that he'll use his second term to play hardball.

[Ophiolite]

As an outsider, but one with a long term, first hand knowledge of the US, the posts above have an unpleasant hint of gloating about them. The US and the world continue to face major issues of economics, security and environmental change. Solutions will not be found through advesarial name calling, but through bipartisan cooperation and attitudes that reflect an understanding of the other point of view. ..... No matter how little effort may appear to be made by 'the other side'. It would be nice to think some of that effort could be expressed here on this forum.

[CaptainPanic]

As an outsider, but one with a long term, first hand knowledge of the US, the posts above have an unpleasant hint of gloating about them. The US and the world continue to face major issues of economics, security and environmental change. Solutions will not be found through advesarial name calling, but through bipartisan cooperation and attitudes that reflect an understanding of the other point of view. ..... No matter how little effort may appear to be made by 'the other side'. It would be nice to think some of that effort could be expressed here on this forum.

I dedicate my life to making this planet a bit cleaner. I take pride in taking time to debunk populism. But here we have a thread which is called "Congratulations, Obama". We are not looking for any solutions in this thread.

 

Anyway, I don't think that bipartisan cooperation within the USA will yield any results that are beneficial for the USA or for the world. To put it simply: the Republicans are just too extreme, because they have been hijacked by the Tea Party extremists and by extremist religious zealots. I view politics from a global perspective, and I am just really happy that the least extreme guy (Obama) won the elections in the US. At least this means that cooperation on an international level does not come to a complete halt again, like with the Bush administration.

[CharonY]

Yet, this sub-forum is about politics. A thread in which one would congratulate someone (who is never going to read it) would be more of a a lounge discussion, no? One should also note that in contrast to many European countries the US system is not set up to be a oppositional system, but rather requires consensus to do anything. Abandoning bipartisanship would severely cripple the nation. It should be noted that the actual policy-making of the Republicans tends not to be that crazy as the stories you hear may make you believe. Partially also due to the consensus-building system.

[D H]

If we extrapolate this, taking into account Sandy and Katrina, we could conclude that the political orientation of the president determines with 100% certainty where the next hurricane will hit.

Except Florida. With its perpetual status as the closest of all swing states, Florida is a huge attractive nuisance to those hurricane gods.

Edited November 8, 2012 by D H

[imatfaal]

Except Florida. With its perpetual status as the closest of all swing states, Florida is a huge attractive nuisance to those hurricane gods.

 

That explains the lack of declaration! They have decided to remain perpetually un-declared and thus avoid the wrath of the hurricane gods

[Phi for All]

Yet, this sub-forum is about politics. A thread in which one would congratulate someone (who is never going to read it) would be more of a a lounge discussion, no? One should also note that in contrast to many European countries the US system is not set up to be a oppositional system, but rather requires consensus to do anything. Abandoning bipartisanship would severely cripple the nation. It should be noted that the actual policy-making of the Republicans tends not to be that crazy as the stories you hear may make you believe. Partially also due to the consensus-building system.

This is a very good point. It's far too easy to claim the other guy is crazy, and indeed it has been my kneejerk reaction to the majority of Republican actions of late, and it bothers me greatly. I know it clouds objectivity to dismiss a whole group of people because of the unreasonableness of the most vocal fringe elements.

 

In my most objective moments though, I still conclude that it's the religious right that is causing such jarring dissonance within the GOP. Their insistence on sexual control and their hyper-conservatism is completely at odds with a platform of less government intervention, personal privacy rights and supporting great schools. There must be some way they can stop allowing so many extremist ideas to overcome the good things they want to accomplish, and I hope the president can help them find that path, being a more sensible religious man himself.