I was so ready for 2008 to be finished I couldn’t even be bothered to watch the clock strike 12 (was asleep by 11). The recently departed year  was a bit of a slog and the folk over at JibJab do a good job of chronicling a few low-lights.

I’m always leery of end of the year posts. Mainly because history is too messy for easy summations, no matter how much we would like our past to follow some easy narrative. However, I enjoy freelance employment so when the boss says do something about ‘08, I humbly abide.

2008 for all of its sloppiness will be remembered, if we are keeping our eyes stateside, for two things: Barack Obama and same sex marriage. The guy with the funny name and big ears was a long shot this time last year and the good people of Iowa (Happy New Year wishes to the Hamer family!) gave him his first big boost toward the nomination. One of the most under-reported themes this election season is that Obama only became a viable candidate for black voters when Hawkeye whites voted for him.  Before that Hillary Clinton (whose campaign wasn’t prepared for anything beyond Super Tuesday) had a lock on black votes.

Gay marriage took a beating this year. Citizens in Arizona, California, and Florida all said no to same-sex marriage. The good people of Arkansas put a nix on gays and lesbians from adopting (this is being fought in the courts). I guess a loving home isn’t as important as being shuttled between foster homes.

The defeat in California was especially galling and we all have argued about what happened and the impact, or lack thereof,  of the black vote in the defeat of marriage rights. Don’t worry. No rehash from me. Mainly because it is boring and  everything has been said a zillion times. Through all the noise though people of good will always find a way to step beyond the rhetoric of blame and recrimination.

And folks of good will are going to need each other even more as 2009 unfolds because the messes of 2008 need fixing.