Thank you America!
Nov. 5th, 2008 10:18 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
My flist has exploded with happiness, as has pretty much everyone else I know. It is just all absolutely brilliant. I hope so much that this will mean a better future for the whole world.
It's bizarre that I'm now off to Glenrothes to campaign in the by-election there (a UK Parliament seat - the last MP sadly died in August) to try and take the seat from Labour. One of the things that amazes me most about the American elections is the sheer scale and drama of it - and how quickly it all happens! (The results coming in, I mean. No waiting around in school halls for a returning officer to get a move on!) Everything's so much bigger and seems so much more exciting.
It makes Scottish politics seem tiny. But that's actually okay, because there's something nice about that too.
And to all those watching tonight from beyond our shores, from parliaments and palaces to those who are huddled around radios in the forgotten corners of our world - our stories are singular, but our destiny is shared, and a new dawn of American leadership is at hand. To those who would tear this world down – we will defeat you. To those who seek peace and security – we support you. And to all those who have wondered if America's beacon still burns as bright – tonight we proved once more that the true strength of our nation comes not from our the might of our arms or the scale of our wealth, but from the enduring power of our ideals: democracy, liberty, opportunity, and unyielding hope. - Barack Obama.
It's bizarre that I'm now off to Glenrothes to campaign in the by-election there (a UK Parliament seat - the last MP sadly died in August) to try and take the seat from Labour. One of the things that amazes me most about the American elections is the sheer scale and drama of it - and how quickly it all happens! (The results coming in, I mean. No waiting around in school halls for a returning officer to get a move on!) Everything's so much bigger and seems so much more exciting.
It makes Scottish politics seem tiny. But that's actually okay, because there's something nice about that too.
And to all those watching tonight from beyond our shores, from parliaments and palaces to those who are huddled around radios in the forgotten corners of our world - our stories are singular, but our destiny is shared, and a new dawn of American leadership is at hand. To those who would tear this world down – we will defeat you. To those who seek peace and security – we support you. And to all those who have wondered if America's beacon still burns as bright – tonight we proved once more that the true strength of our nation comes not from our the might of our arms or the scale of our wealth, but from the enduring power of our ideals: democracy, liberty, opportunity, and unyielding hope. - Barack Obama.
(no subject)
Date: 2008-11-05 03:32 pm (UTC)I'm so pleased Obama won - i'm looking forward to seeing what he does.
(no subject)
Date: 2008-11-06 10:26 pm (UTC)I know! I do feel genuinely hopeful about him, though I'm trying not to get carried away.
(no subject)
Date: 2008-11-05 10:17 pm (UTC)Yep. Seeing the American election really brought it home about how small uk elections are.And also..how unexciting compared to the USA elections for President.
That paragraph of his speech was my favourite.<3
(no subject)
Date: 2008-11-06 10:25 pm (UTC)I know! To both those points :). But yeah, that bit of his speech...it gave me hope.