Are you watching the election?

I know, as an American, I have a particular interest in tonight's results. I'll be going to a friend's house to eat pizza, nibble Krispy Kreme donuts, watch the results on TV and obsessively check the web for information about polling stations in towns I've never heard of. All my American friends are so twitchy about what's going to happen today that they can barely sit still (or work - I'm getting emails every couple of minutes).

But I'm wondering, fellow Alpha Mummies, are you interested in the election night drama or simply tuning in tomorrow for the results? Or washing your hands of the whole thing?

Tell us your plans.

* For up-to-date news of the election, visit Comment Central's Rolling Guide to Election Rumours

* Top 25 websites for following the results online

Comments

[Sarah]

From here in the UK I heard my 9 year old daughter crying - when I asked her what was wrong she said that Jonny (my son) had said she was a McCain supporter... So even kids in the Uk were interested in the election!

[Whimsey]

Because the Palestinians were forced to pay the bill for the Holocaust. How would we feel if, say, the Amerindians had only gone into exile, instead of being exterminated by European disease and invasion, and now wanted America back? Or the Celts wanted England back?

Sure, there are lots (thankfully) of Israelis who don't think they have some kind of divine right to kick other people off the land they're living on, but sadly there are some who do think that.

I don't think the Palestinians have reacted wisely since the foundation of Israel, and they certainly haven't acted humanely, but the place has to be sorted out - the status quo is untenable (not to mention a pain in the proverbial to the rest of the world!)

[L]

Why should he stop supporting the only democracy in the Middle East?

[LM]

Thanks, KM, it really, really is, especially in somewhere as liberal as Seattle. As I mentioned before, we're hosting a Bonfire Night party tonight & my husband's getting the champagne in to accompany the sparklers.

[KM]

Thought of you lots today, LM - what a great day to be in the US!

[Whimsey]

"let's hope Obama can break the stranglehold that AIPAC and the Jewish Lobby have on US politics and can carry out those actions."

What is needed is a clear understanding that being anti-Israel does NOT equal being anti-semitic.

And Arabs have to learn that being anti-Israel NEVER justifies being anti-semitic. (NOTHING does.)

A 'Jewish lobby' should NEVER be equated with an 'Israel lobby'.

[Whimsey]

LM - I think you're right about H. Clinton being unelectable. Everyone would just have thought that (a) they'd get Bill back and (b) H would have every bloke's b**** on the oval desk.

Personally, I didn't mind her, because I like her ugly duckling to chic woman makeover, and personally I didn't mind Bill, because, like Reagan, he had charm that succeeded in charming me (whereas TB's 'charm' never charmed me). No idea whether their policies (becasue they were, really, a joint presidency, weren't they?!) were any good for the world or not.

From what I understand it was Clinton's idea to make homes affordable to all, which is great in principle - and might well have worked out had it not been for the insane market in derivatives the banks were allowed to create in the sub prime mortgages. But then, I guess, if they hadn't been able to offload the risk of lending money to poor people on to a derivatives market, they would never have leant any in the first place.

What I want to know is this - money never disappears, it just flows somewhere. Someone sold all those deriatives at the top of the market, and went off with the money. It's like the old Third World Debt of the 70s and 80s - the money didn't disappear, it ended up in the swiss bank accounts of corrupt third world rulers. Presumably it's somewhere in Gucci, Prada and Ferrari's profits.....

One question re Obama, though, which I think is interesting to ask - how well would he have done had he not been black?????

[Bravo Obama!]

"But he will listen, he will move people beyond the recent dogma, he is not beholden to the Zionists, he has lived abroad,"
JM

"Finally, he's got to pull the USA out of the middle east - Afganistan, Iraq AND Israel. That will be hard, because too many troops have died to make anyone want to admit they've died utterly in vain. Israel will be hard too, but the USA has to make it clear that the 'holy land' has to be a bipartite dual state, consisting of BOTH Palestine and Israel, until, in a few generations, they will be able to merge, as Islam will have finally civilised itself as a religon, and the Holocaust survivors will be long gone, and history can finally heal."
Whimsey

Those are wise words, let's hope Obama can break the stranglehold that AIPAC and the Jewish Lobby have on US politics and can carry out those actions.

[LM]

I should just point out that being on the West Coast of the USA, we weren't engaged in any kind of child cruelty by keeping our daughter up to hear the acceptance speech; it was a little late, 9pm, but we all watched it right after a late bedtime story (we were a bit carried away) and then carried her up to bed as she fell asleep towards the end of the speech.

I should also say, because I've been a vocal Obama supporter on AM for months, that I don't think he's the Messiah and he's inheriting one hell of a mess. I disagree with Whimsey that the Dems could have put up a donkey & had it win this year; outrage at GWB is huge throughout the US right now, but I do think that Hillary would have been unelectable - too many people don't trust the Clintons, and she couldn't galvanise the youth vote or the non-white vote the way Obama did. If I'd realised in time, I'd have taken citizenship just to vote for this ma and I wouldn't have been alone in that. (Just heard on NPR, which is like Radio 4, that over 1mm immigrants took citizenship in the last 2 years, in response to Bush's policies).

But back to Obama. No, he's not going to heal the sick with just one touch of his robes, and he doesn't walk on water or make moonbeams out of cucumbers (as someone said on the Guardian). But he will listen, he will move people beyond the recent dogma, he is not beholden to the Zionists, he has lived abroad, has multiracial and multicultural blood and spirit, and if nothing else, thinks deeply and responds positively to criticism. He will bring a more thoughtful, reflective approach to problem solving, both within the US and in international relations and after the cowboy diplomacy & (actually) unfettered evil of the last 8 years, and the personal sleaze of the Clintons before that, this alone will be a refreshing change.

Yes, he's a great orator, and he's largely untested, but he's an intelligent orator, and intelligence is something we need in our leadership right now, more than at most times. My husband pointed out that Kennedy was also a great orator but not much use as a President and that's true (despite all the harking back to the golden years). Hopefully Obama will turn out not to be full of empty promises the way Kennedy was (what, after all, did he do except get the US embroiled in Vietman & the Cuban Missile Crisis? The only positive we could think of was start the race to put a man on the moon - which was positive for technology/science in the long run). But for today, at least, let's put our cynicism aside and bask in the euphoria of positive change, because it won't last for long.

[Jean Jones]

Oh, nobody's denying he's a good orator, Susanna. That's kind of my point - he talks a good game but it's yet to be seen whether his deeds will match up to his words, and i'm not getting excited until we see whether they do. As he has no real track record we have nothing to go on. He might be great. He might not. But all he's achieved so far is to get elected, which is like saying giving birth successfully equals bringing up a child successfully. I'm sorry to sound so boring, but I've seen too much of politicians to trust any of them before the event, however good they may look and sound.

[L]

A friend told me about a terrible thing though. Troops stationed overseas had to send their absentee ballots FORTY FIVE days before election day, which means that in order to vote:
- they had to not be shipped off just before
- the country were they were stationed had to receive the ballots on time
- the ballots had to be returned on time and/or
- the ballots had to be returned in the correct form.
So essentially, thousands of the people who are putting their life on the line defending the rights are fellow Americans to do many things, including vote, are unable to.
I was appalled.

[A Modern Mother (Susanna)]

We watched Obama's speech this morning on you tube.

The best part was when he pointed out "we are not red states, and we are not blue states. We are the United States".

My mum, who is visiting from the US, had tears in her eyes when she heard the speech.

I think she voted for McCain.

[Whimsey]

Actaully, I could never run for office of any kind - not even school governor or local councillor. Supposing no one voted for you, not even your mum! How humiliating is that!

Would anyone else ever run for office, and those who have, how did you cope with losing (if you did).

[Whimsey]

Nicky, no, I personally wouldn't bother with being elected. I think I'll just go on moaning from the sidelines. It's my special skill set!!!!!!

[Whimsey]

Jean, I can remember one of the teachers saying it - presumably the next day - at school dinner break. I dimly remember getting all the Kenedy's muddled up as a child - there seemed to be a lot of them, and they were either killed (J and R) or killing someone (E).

Talking about being 'ancient' I can remember years ago when John Lennon was assassinated, and a younger colleage at the time staring at me as if I was Methusulah because I said I could remember the Beatles before they split up!!!!

[Jean Jones]

I can remember JFK being shot too! I was 7 and in my gran's kitchen when it came on the radio, and I know I have got it right because it was dark and we were having our tea so it would be around 7pm. I don't remember understanding what it was all about but the adults must have reacted with considerable shock because I do remember the moment.

[Nicky]

So, Whimsey, are you thinking of standing for PM or even MP anytime soon? ;-)

And can you really remember JFK being shot? Gosh.

I missed Obama's speech as I slept in this morning... must track it down on the interweb somewhere. Must go out and buy a Times too.

[Whimsey]

I suspect that Obama will very soon run head first into all the vested interests that break most governement's good intentions.

He'll have to tackle the greed of the banks (a moritorium on house repossesions is urgently required - especially now since mortgage faulters are in debt to the government not the damn bankers!)(ie, because the government bailed out the banks), and I think he MUST do something to 'hurt' the fat cats - even if they squeal like stuck pigs about it. Tough.

He'll have to take on the Bush coterie of the oil companies, who've got used to runnign the US energy policy, and they'll squeal like stuck pigs too.

He'll have to shift the US public from waste to thrift - from everythign from the insanely extravagant food portions in restaurants onwards, especially the extravagant and obscene abuse of water in desert places (those vile poison green golf courses in deserts!), with an eco-energy policy.

He'll have to do sometihng about population growth. As a black guy, he will have huge credibility to stop immigration, and stop the terrifying transformation of North America into South America, as the population of the latter heads north. To do that he has to make America accept that the only viable policy towards SA is enrichment, not oppression. THere is NO reason Mexico should be any poorer than California. To achieve that he will have to support liberal governments in SA, that work to enrich their people from the ground up. Agian, I heard the sound of corrupt governments and SA upper classes squealing like stuck pigs...

At home, he's got to cope with the dire cancer of the underclass, draining out America from drug-ridden ghettoes, where everyone is too stoned to work. Again, as a black guy, he is uniquely positiioned to do that, which is good.

Finally, he's got to pull the USA out of the middle east - Afganistan, Iraq AND Israel. That will be hard, because too many troops have died to make anyone want to admit they've died utterly in vain. Israel will be hard too, but the USA has to make it clear that the 'holy land' has to be a bipartite dual state, consisting of BOTH Palestine and Israel, until, in a few generations, they will be able to merge, as Islam will have finally civilised itself as a religon, and the Holocaust survivors will be long gone, and history can finally heal.

Apart from all that, one thing has depressed me - I saw some African guy on the telly this morning saying that now with an Afro-American president, they expect lots more aid....

NO NO NO NO NO. What Africa neesd is not aid, it needs uncorrupt governments.

Hey ho - I do wish I ruled the world!!

[Golly]

I don't think Obama is the messiah and I feel he is a good man, but don't forget that he is taking on a difficult job in terrible times. There have been moments in this campaign when I didn't think the good ol' boys would allow a black man to get in and I feel euphoric for all youth, because anything is possible now.

[Jean Jones]

Experience and being repeatedly let down has taught me to be very cautious about politicians and their promises, especially ones whom nobody really knows and who have no track record to speak of. Time will tell but I prefer to wait and see before jumping one way or the other.

[Whimsey]

Jean Jones - well, I agree I remember feeling euphoric that Maggie was finally OUT (Ok, it was JM by then, but no difference!), but I was never, not for a moment, fooled by NuLabour. TB had got to the top by betraying every principle of socialism ,and he went on to do that ever since. He was ALWAYS extradoinarily transparent, and it's been one of the mysteriries of the last umpteen years to me how ANYONE could ever have been taken in by him.

TB was, and is, a man of straw. A hollow man. I just don't get that vibe off Obama. I'm not saying Obama will necessary be a good president, but I think he's a good man.

I think the acid test will be what kind of people he chooses to have around him, and support. TB showed his hand the moment he let Alistair Campbell and Peter Mandelson anywhere near him.

[Jean Jones]

Quite honestly I am amazed that anyone still believes anything any politician promises. Perhaps it's just age and cynicism, but after the goodlooking, young, proficient-in-oratory, inexperienced, change-promising Tony Blair and how that's all ended up I find it hard to see any politician as any sort of Messiah. If the world changes, great, but I'm not holding my breath.

[Whimsey]

PS - wonder what the result would have been had Obama not had any black blood in him?????? I think McCain was up against an 'unbeatable' opponent!

(Actually, I expecvt if the Democrats had put up a donkey for a candidate, they'd have got in - time for a change, any change so long as it's not Republican!)

(It will be ditto here in the UK next May. We won't vote any party IN, we'll be voting NuLabour OUT)

[Whimsey]

I certainly think it's something for all children who have reached the age of any kind of political awareness, to realise they have just lived through a truly historic moment.

It should live with them forever. I can still (just!) remember Kennedy being assassinated. I was too small to understand or even hardly to know who he was, but I remember all the stuff on the TV, and grownups talking about it.

[Nene]

I stayed up till 4 am. I didn't mean to, but I just couldn't go to bed! My seven-year old was really excited this morning and sat himself down in front of the TV to watch Obama's speech and his two little girls on stage.
After less than 3 hours' sleep I'm rather bleary-eyed, but so fortunate that I work at home and can just postpone work till later. So while sonny is at school, I'll grab a bit of shut-eye. Happy shut-eye that is!