It's interesting to see the build up to Obama's inauguration. But I think a lot of it is based not just on a looking forward, but on relief that the Bush Era is over. I can't imagine that even Republicans felt this much relief, and weight-lifting-from-shoulders when Bush came into power, and Clinton's time was over; because no matter what changes he brought about that they didn't like, there's no way you could call his presidency a disaster.
The Bush presidency was just soooo paaaaaaiiiiinful.
I feel like we've all been on some terrible vacation where everything went wrong (and by we I mean non-Americans... I can't imagine what it's like for Americans), and you turn the corner onto your street, and finally fiiiiinally you're home home home. You'll sleep in your own bed. And no matter what happens that week, life will still be that much better because you'll be eating Shreddies in your own friggin' kitchen. Or maybe it's like that feeling you get when you've been down with a terrible flu&pneumonia for two weeks, and that blessed day come when you wake up and you realize... you can breathe again... you can swallow without a bomb going off... and you can sip soup without puking it up.
At this point Bush reminds me of a terrible boss I once had. He was eventually given a Talking To by the President of the company, so he started trying to make everyone love him. Of course he didn't know how. So whatever respect we still held for his position, at least, was gone. He became the store clown. Our favourite joke. He was The Office. Bush has become David Brent.
So... Obama is a Human Being and not a god, and there's going to be a letdown or backlash at some point... but I do understand this End of an Era feeling. And here's my sendoff... my favourite Office episode (and the song Gilby sang the whole day we were in Oxford). "She's deeeaaad!"
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"I feel like we've all been on some terrible vacation where everything went wrong (and by we I mean non-Americans... I can't imagine what it's like for Americans), and you turn the corner onto your street, and finally fiiiiinally you're home home home. You'll sleep in your own bed. And no matter what happens that week, life will still be that much better because you'll be eating Shreddies in your own friggin' kitchen. Or maybe it's like that feeling you get when you've been down with a terrible flu&pneumonia for two weeks, and that blessed day come when you wake up and you realize... you can breathe again..."
Word. And, well, as an American, obviously, I can't imagine what it's like for Iraqis. Or Palestinians. Or the Afghan population or... A whole hell of a lot of other people we unilaterally fucked over the past several years. I have to say, although he's done some great things to start out (overturned global gag rule, plans to shut down Guantanamo, ordering military prosecutions there to a halt...), there were unilateral attacks on Pakistan yesterday. And since I keep getting emails from John Podesta asking for my thoughts, I guess--at a minimum--that's something that I could mention. I mean, here I thought this era of preemptive strikes was over and all--at least, that's what I voted for. I do think Obama will be far less universally destructive (and far less of a criminal) than Bush was, but I don't suppose that means much to people in Pakistan right now.
In any case, it's always going to be a mixed bag... An overwhelmingly better one, but still.
In any case, I felt pretty calm all day, but then I wept when Beyonce sang and was interviewed later. Politicians *should* make us want to be "better" and "smarter" as she mentioned, and I'm hopeful at least that some of this country's famous political complacency could be coming to an end.
Also, it is nice to have a president who is not a stupid, pampered, petulant frat boy granted access to the Ivies on the basis of "legacy." Bush was a national embarrassment who fucked over all of us--*and* the rest of the world too.
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