The surest way to attract derision on the internet is to express a strong opinion about politics. I’ve kept this blog fairly apolitical for a variety of reasons, but mainly because I just don’t feel like pissing off my friends and picking fights with strangers. To fully understand what I mean, I invite you to visit YouTube and do a word search on either “Obama”, “McCain”, “Biden” or “Palin” and browse all of the toxic, hateful user comments on the video of your choice. With that caveat out of the way, I couldn’t let this day go by without saying something about the election.
When the race finally narrowed down to Barack Obama and John McCain, I was genuinely excited at the prospect of having a choice between two candidates whom I actually liked in nearly equal measure. There was plenty to like about both of these men, and I would have been proud to call either of them my president. To be frank, though, I was rooting for Obama all along — especially after the train wreck of a campaign that McCain was running in the final four months of the election season. The inclusion of Sarah Palin on the Republican ticket, for example, was a deal breaker all on its own for me.
But that’s all beside the fact now, because Barack Obama is our new president. The national atmosphere is buzzing with expectation and renewed hope. For the first time in years, I am inspired by my country’s elected leadership. I’m excited by the prospect of a new American president who promises change — who promises to steer our country in a different direction after eight sloppy years of stewardship by George W. Bush. I only hope now that our man Obama can live up to the towering hype. There’s plenty of work to do, and plenty of chances to prove the skeptics right. Congratulations, President Obama. For everybody’s sake, I wish you well.
Our friendship is OVER!
Damnit, KZ. Write another blog before I have to go all mavericky on you.