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Loading ...OBAMA WINS!
11.05.2008 12:24am EST
Obama Wins!
by The Associated Press
Posted:
November 4, 2008 – 11:02 pm ET
The son of a black father from Kenya and a white mother from Kansas, the Democratic senator from Illinois sealed his historic triumph by defeating Republican Sen. John McCain in a string of wins in hard-fought battleground states – Ohio, Florida, Virginia, Iowa and more.
On a night for Democrats to savor, they not only elected Obama the nation’s 44th president but padded their majorities in the House and Senate, and come January will control both the White House and Congress for the first time since 1994.
Obama’s election capped a meteoric rise – from mere state senator to president-elect in four years.
In his first speech as victor, Obama catalogued the challenges ahead. “The greatest of a lifetime,” he said, “two wars, a planet in peril, the worst financial crisis in a century.”
He added, “There are many who won’t agree with every decision or policy I make as president, and we know that government can’t solve every problem. But I will always be honest with you about the challenges we face.”
McCain called his former rival to concede defeat – and the end of his own 10-year quest for the White House. “The American people have spoken, and spoken clearly,” McCain told disappointed supporters in Arizona.
President Bush added his congratulations from the White House.
In his speech, Obama invoked the words of Lincoln and echoed John F. Kennedy.
“So let us summon a new spirit of patriotism, of service and responsibility where each of us resolves to pitch in and work harder,” he said.
He and his running mate, Sen. Joseph Biden of Delaware, will take their oaths of office as president and vice president on Jan. 20, 2009.
Obama will move into the Oval Office as leader of a country that is almost certainly in recession, and fighting two long wars, one in Iraq, the other in Afghanistan.
The popular vote was close – 51.3 percent to 47.5 percent with 73 percent of all U.S. precincts counted – but not the count in the Electoral College, where it mattered most.
There, Obama’s audacious decision to contest McCain in states that hadn’t gone Democratic in years paid rich dividends.
Obama has said his first order of presidential business will be to tackle the economy. He has also pledged to withdraw most U.S. combat troops from Iraq within 16 months.
Yes. Congratulations! White guilt is an amazing thing. That plus the amount of gender traitors in this country. GREAT JOB. This is when I stop paying my taxes and truly consider the gig in Nova Scotia. This country has been bullocks for so long and this drink the kool aid lad is worse.
Black men deserve this before any kind of female? really? REALLY? Obama? Really. His dad wasn’t even born in this country. He was caught on tape saying he is a muslim. He keeps his kids up past 10pm. I’m surprised though. I’m surprised how much the white guilt turned everyone into gutless turds.
Enjoy the demise of this country. I won’t be apart of it. When will anyone feel guilt towards women?
I am angry. Obama won Florida. And the black community voted overwhelmingly to support Obama in FL. But, the black community also overwhelmingly to discriminate against gays and to ban gay marriage. Where was Obama? Why wasn’t he in the black churches telling them to vote no on 2. Why wasn’t he making it clear to the black community that to vote against gays is against his positions? Maybe he could have had an influence. Maybe he could have helped us. But he didn’t. Right now I am not impressed even though I voted for him.
A Big Congrats to my American cousins….I never thought I would see this day but am thrilled to witness history, GO-BAMA!!!!
There are a few posts here that show the racism under the surface in the Gay community bubbling to the surface.
To those of you subtly throwing racial jabs, take a look in the mirror. You’re just as bad as the Black church goers you hate so much.
Congrats President-Elect Obama. I pray you can help heal the would left in our country’s soul by 8 years of George W. Bush, Dick Cheney, Karl Rove, and the rest of them.
Zeta, you are correct…but not in a “round about way”. Obama said our unions ARE NOT marriages and his newly found voters (where have they been all these years anyway) voted with him.
Without such huge margins for Prop 8 in his new electoral group (blacks/hispanics) we would have won…hands down.
So it IS Obama’s fault. How can some of you say the bigots lost today? We lost, the bigots won and Obama is a facilitator.
We were duped and you all know it. I voted 3rd party, I could not support someone who actively worked to pass Prop 8. Say what you want, but that is what he did with the “ex gay” singers in CA and actively courting the bigoted Catholic (hispanic) and Black Evangelical vote.
This is Obama’s fault, no other way to see it, and no surprise, he said it himself in the debate.
He could have said “that’s a private matter and shouldn’t be up to a vote”…not political suicide since he wouldn’t be taking sides.
He chose to take sides, and you all ignored that.
I’m ashamed of this movements simple mindedness in being duped so easily. I’ve written, argued, posted this point for the last 6 months.
I’m very saddened. I just hope he feels some guilt (I know he is a supporter, he just put his own ambition over our equality). I hope he works to fix this wrong…we need to hold him to it.
Who wants to march on Washington? I’ll go again…..
There are a few posts here that show the racism under the surface in the Gay community bubbling to the surface—–
Pointing out the obvious FACT that nearly 75% of African American women voted to deny gay marriage equality is NOT racist. If anything it proves that a large majority within the African American community are HOMOPHOBIC against gay people! Speaking out against bigotry is not racist!
Oh Jonathon, to say I’m just like those bigots in the “black” churches is absurd! They happen to be black, does that give bigotry a pass? They join a cult, by choice that:
-discriminates against gays, women and people different than them. In some cases, against whites…and in white churches, against blacke. I DON’T DO THAT.
-They hate women! The powers of the different churches are men that want their little boys castrated and don’t want the government telling them who to marry, and how many to marry. I don’t do that either!
-Christianity stokes superstition and in turn bigotry. they have killed millions. They supported the murder of millions of jews AND gays AND women. I have rejected the scourge of religion.
I am not like those religious bigots. Religion is wrong. You are wrong. The fact is they voted bigotry in California and Florida and without Obama’s get out the vote effort, we could have won.
I don’t care the color of their skin or what country they are there ancestors came here from. I care that they allow religion to get into their minds and then they vote bigotry into constitutions.
I am not like them. You insult all free thinkers when you lump us into the stupid religious group.
We just need to keep fighting on.
Somebody said we should march on Washington. Maybe we should. Maybe we need to remind the Democrats and Obama that our votes helped him win too. Maybe it is time that we a people need to become more activated politically. All of us should join the Human Rights Campaign. We should all try to establish LGBT Centers in our cities. We should all try to step forward. Stop having pride parades in the downtown of cities that are dead and march down the streets of the population centers. File lawsuits to demand equality. Create Political Action Committees (PACs) to fund candidates.
I am guilty as the next person of being on the sidelines. But this is the time. This is the moment. We need to act political rather than in your face. We need to have political clout. And we can only do that with organization.
We need to make alliances that will be enforced. This is a lesson for us. Unless we stand up together, we are going to continue to sit on the back of the bus.
You know what would be great? We take over a state. We set up our own Governor, Senators, Represenative. We are sheriffs, the judges, etc. etc. etc.
Think about it. We could have two gay senators in the congress.
Now, you are probably wondering which state. Delaware. 870,000 people live there. How many queer people would it take? 900,000. We as a people could take over.
It’s just a fantasy. But it is possible, even if a long shot.
I’m glad that Obama won. As for Prop 8, I like how a lot of you are blaming the black and Hispanic community for it not passing, but take a look at yourself first. A lot of you automatically just deem them homophobes and write them off instead of trying to appeal to them. Why the hell should they vote No for Prop 8 when you didn’t feel they were worth talking to. Maybe instead of complaining, learn from this mistake for future elections and try to appeal to them instead of just writing them off.
A win for America, I high five for gays, and punch in the face to Conservatives and white supremists everywhere ^_^
No on 8 has made appeals to all minorities, especially blacks and hispanics. No one was trying to write them off. No on 8 made appeals to everyone and anyone. Appeals were attempted and apparently did not change many minds. It should not even be our responsibility to “appeal” to them. They need to find within themselves the humanity and justice to refuse to discriminate against other minorities. The numbers don’t lie. 75% of black women voted yes on 8. I myself am half black and I am ostracized by the black community at large for being gay and for not being a christian. Blacks are not very diverse in thought or belief as a group. It’s sad. I am not surprised that so many blacks voted yes on 8, and I am truly and deeply disgusted. Groups that have experienced discrimination firsthand cannot be exempted from fault when they vote to discriminate against another minority. Of course not *all* blacks are homophobic, but you cannot deny that they are more so than whites or asians or even hispanics. There is no excuse for such idiotic bigotry.
a lot of you are blaming the black and Hispanic community for it not passing, … Maybe instead of complaining, learn from this mistake for future elections and try to appeal to them
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Actually Obama did appeal to them. Obama had “Faith Tours” targeted specifically to the African American churches in California, and Obama made sure to have a prominent “YES on Prop 8″ advocate shilling for him during these so called “Faith Tours”.
When nearly 75% of African American women vote AGAINST gay marriage equality, then it is an absolute imperative to stop “appealing” and start to address the bigotry within that community and stop making excuses for it. Not to mention Obama’s own outrageous exploitation of thier homophobia to help garner votes for his campaign.
The LA Times just announced that Prop 8 (banning same-sex marriages) has been APPROVED by California voters. The Advocate reports that astounding number of blacks, nearly 75% of African American women and over 50% of Latino men voted YES on Prop 8.
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-gaymarriage5-2008nov05,0,1545381.story