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Post-Election
13 years ago
I'll do my best to keep any actual political leanings out of this post and simply say this: to my fellow Americans who got out and voted in yesterday's election, I salute you. Regardless of how you voted, the fact that you did is a desperately important thing. It shows that you're involved and invested in something larger than your own self interest, and that you care about having your voice heard as a member of an organized civilisation seeking to find the best way forward for everyone.
Our country has become increasingly polarised along political lines over the past decade, with things like rational political discussion and compromise to find the best way forward for the country seeming like abstract theoretical concepts. While I don't hold a great deal of hope for this changing anytime too soon, the only way we'll work past it is together, by taking every opportunity to be informed and rational citizens, and being willing to listen and understand where those whom you don't agree with are coming from.
Both candidates last night in their speeches spoke in acknowledgement of the importance of coming together now, reaching across political lines and setting aside prejudices and to find the right way forward for the country. It's a usual sort of thing to hear at this stage and easy to dismiss, but it's something that ruly is of unspeakable importance and I hope we can all hold to it.
America is a great country with a wealth of ingenuity, spirit, and inspiration to offer, and it's worth fighting for. It's also worth voting for, educating youreslf for, listening to your fellow citizens for, and compromising for.
Our country has become increasingly polarised along political lines over the past decade, with things like rational political discussion and compromise to find the best way forward for the country seeming like abstract theoretical concepts. While I don't hold a great deal of hope for this changing anytime too soon, the only way we'll work past it is together, by taking every opportunity to be informed and rational citizens, and being willing to listen and understand where those whom you don't agree with are coming from.
Both candidates last night in their speeches spoke in acknowledgement of the importance of coming together now, reaching across political lines and setting aside prejudices and to find the right way forward for the country. It's a usual sort of thing to hear at this stage and easy to dismiss, but it's something that ruly is of unspeakable importance and I hope we can all hold to it.
America is a great country with a wealth of ingenuity, spirit, and inspiration to offer, and it's worth fighting for. It's also worth voting for, educating youreslf for, listening to your fellow citizens for, and compromising for.
* (Except out-produce us [Canada] in maple syrup and uranium - we totally got the world market there, though I wouldn't suggest eating the two as a combo)
I really feel the same way. As a nation we really do have an incredible will to unite and accomplish impossible, we just need to remember it more and spend less time focusing on our differences. I just wish that spirit of unity that always seems present in victory/inauguration/concession speeches were more present the rest of the time!
This election did illustrate a very important fact though - the voting demographic is changing. Obama didn't win because a bunch of stuffy old and rich white people voted for him, he won because a great deal of youth (of every race, religion and sexuality) turned out to vote, and that "youth vote" is starting to carry a lot of weight. It is a new voting reality that other parties will need to accept and include for future runs.
That was a really neat thing to see; the Obama campaign especially really did a huge amount of work urging people to vote and trying to get a lot more people involved in the process. It's troubling to me how insignificant and overlooked the 'youth vote' has been in the past, and it's a really neat thing to see it becoming more of a force now. As you say, all the parties are going to have to address that more now I think, which will mean addressing issues important to those demographics more than they have in the past.