In many of Obama’s speeches, he has reminded his audiences that this isn’t about him…this is about us. This is about the majority of citizens deciding that enough is enough and we want something different.

Is a return of civility in the grocery store check out line because of Obama? Maybe not. But his election was a reminder of what we want our country to be, of how we want to act. Most of us believe that we’re better than we’ve been for the past eight years. That attitude contributed to a specific behavior — electing Obama. And now that attitude is showing up in other behaviors, as Jason and others mentioned.

Oh yes, everything is wonderful and of course it is because of Barack.

Have you lost all objectivity?

You are experiencing a natural high that everyone feels when the people they like are elected.

Barack has not even done anything except appoint people.

If he actually does something noteworthy, I will give him props and if he does something I don’t like, I will complain about it.

What I will not do is characterize people whom I disagree with about politics in a petulant and pejorative fashion.

Some of us were never assholes or douchbags to begin with but to those in recovery, please, carry on.

And feeling this, I get a little confused about the hanging-on neocons who hear about Rahm Emanuel and Hillary Clinton and harrumph about “what happened to change?” The change starts with the stuff we’re feeling and experiencing every day. The little less “d-baggy” behavior.

Let’s not get hung up on what name is on the mailbox…because the real change is in the spirit of the house, the neighborhood, the community.

Regardless, I remain hopeful, optimistic and proud to be an American once again. It’s not just Chicago.

(Apologies for the duplicate postings above – user error.)

Hope alone will not carry us for long. Results must come. And then we’ll know what this leader is made of.

Perhaps he will in the mold of Cincinnatus, who laid down his arms once the fight was over and who served as a model for our first president.

One can only hope.

http://swimminginthedarkblue.com/yes-we-can/2008/11/05

Actually, there are parallels to those halcyon days between Gorbechev and Putin. Sure you didn’t have a job, the economy was a tattered, unrecognizable mess and you had to wait in line for 3 hours to get bread. But the sun shone and people cracked grimaces, if not smiles. Oh yes, and gone were the worries of the KGB wiretapping your phone and sending you packing to a questionably legal detention center that uses aggressive interrogation techniques.

Ahhh memories…

Look how everything turned, er wait, nevermind. Let’s hope it’s different over here.

After the election I posted a few thoughts about how Obama could bring us together to restore America. Your post seems to be what I was feeling on 11/5 put into action. Nice one!