(no subject)

[tree_and_leaf]

I'm shattered; I didn't mean to stay up until matter in the US were decided; but I did, and I am extremely moved (and also tired and emotional). It's been a long night.

I must say, though, that while I am inspired by Obama, that it was very good to hear McCain's extremely honourable concession speech (and is it just me, or did he seem like he'd dropped a burden?), and also, I think this quotation from Alisdair Gray is appropriate:

LET US ACT TODAY AS IF THESE ARE THE FIRST DAYS OF A BETTER NATION

Tomorrow is, as the poet sings, another working day, and I will doubtless feel awful. But I'm glad I stayed up with my American friends; it's just a pity Prop 8 passed, as my friend P and his fiance will have to go to Mass. (or Connecticut) to marry. Symbols matter.

Comments

[parrot-knight.livejournal.com]

It's not just you - I hope that McCain can make a transition from presidential hopeful into battle-hardened but not-bitter elder statesman.

The Gray quotation is extremely appropriate.

[tree_and_leaf]

Yes - the Republican supporters have been a bit nasty at times (the booing was out of line), but McCain himself was very dignified.

[mrstater.livejournal.com]

I was inspired by Obama and impressed with McCain -- but the McCain supporters booing Obama...that was just so badly done.

[tree_and_leaf]

Yes, that was a bad moment, but it was good to see McCain showing so much class.

(frozen) (no subject)

[fpb.livejournal.com]

So lies and rhetoric have prevailed. The next four years have the potential to make us miss not just the wretched Bush II, but Jimmy Carter too. I will say nothing more except one thing: a Christian should never allow herself to be misled by the promise of the kingdom of God on Earth. Back to your St.Augustine, madam.

(frozen) (no subject)

[azdak.livejournal.com]

a Christian should never allow herself to be misled by the promise of the kingdom of God on Earth.

Ah, this would explain your devotion to the Republican party - because there's certainly no risk of mistaking their rule for the kingdom of God on earth.

(frozen) (no subject)

[fpb.livejournal.com]

You moron, I am not and have never been a Republican, and I have never treated Bush II with anything but contempt. If you want an idea of my political views (and granting of course that you can read), have a look at this: http://fpb.livejournal.com/355190.html

(frozen) (no subject)

[azdak.livejournal.com]

Sorry, but I don't like you enough to want to read about your political views. They're hard enough to avoid as it is.

(frozen) (no subject)

[fpb.livejournal.com]

All right. I am an old fashioned social democrat with some Catholic features. I detest Thatcherism and loathe free marketeerism. And you are the kind of person whose icon brags of being a bitch, but who evidently can dish it out but not take it.

(frozen) (no subject)

[azdak.livejournal.com]

Yes, dear. Of course.

(frozen) (no subject)

[fpb.livejournal.com]

What, you still think you can make any impact but that of folly?

(frozen) (no subject)

[nineveh-uk.livejournal.com]

who evidently can dish it out but not take it

Given that a strong answer to your strong comment provoked you to call a poster a moron and illiterate, I should suggest that you look in the mirror.

(frozen) (no subject)

[rivrea.livejournal.com]

You know, for someone who apparently likes bragging about his Christian (self-)righteousness on a regular basis, you seem to have imbibed a bit too much of the spirit of Matthew 10:34 and far too little of Matt 5:5;9.

Or, in other words, it wouldn't probably harm you to buy a cross-stitch doily with Micah 6:8 and put it up on your living-room wall.

And that's all I'm gonna say because I'd hate tree_and_leaf to check her LJ and find that I started a flamewar in her journal.

(frozen) (no subject)

[tree_and_leaf]

Look - I have no objection to people disagreeing with my posts, but I would prefer the disagreements to be (a) conducted in a tone appropriate to conversation among civillised grown-ups and (b) to bear some relationship to what I actually said. I don't see Obama as a messianic figure, I don't agree with all his policies, I merely think he's likely to be a fairly decent president and was the better of the two choices. You obviously disagree with me; very well, you disagree with me, and time will show who is right, but I do not see the justification for insinuating that preferring Obama to McCain is some sort of dereliction of Christian duty.

For your information, the Alisdair Grey quotation was directed to a primarily Scots audience in the eighties by a man who loathed Thatcher. It's not a promise of the Kingdom of God on earth; it's an exhortation not to be trapped in bitterness and anger, but to get on with the job, because there is no other way to make things better. Not perfect, but better.

I highly dislike the tone this thread has taken, I will not tolerate name-calling directed by whichever reader at whichever reader, and I am freezing this thread now.

[juno-magic.livejournal.com]

I am so happy that I was awake early enough to get the end of Obama's speech. I heard parts of McCain's on the radio, and I'm very much with you on this. It's good to know that he's such an honourable loser.

[tree_and_leaf]

Yeah - I haven't liked much of the way the Reps campaigned, but I got a lot of respect back for McCain right then (now, if only he hadn't picked that awful woman... though I suppose it worked out OK in the end).

[azdak.livejournal.com]

Bugsie Malone quote FTW!

[tree_and_leaf]

Er... where?

[azdak.livejournal.com]

"Tomorrow is, they say, another working day. I won't take no for an answer, I was born to be a dancer"

I guess it says a lot about my education that as far as I was concerned, that was the only possible source for the quotation!

[tree_and_leaf]

Ah, OK - I was thinking of Paul Simon's "American Tune", which is not entirely appropriate, as he wrote it in despair at Nixon and Vietnam and Watergate, but it's a beautiful song (the fact that it's set to the Passion Choral helps, of course).



ETA: Youtube comments have been useful for once - apparently Obama used it as the background in one of his ads. Most apposite.

ETA 2: I think I'm tireder than I thought. Probably trying to proof read is a bad idea.

[straussmonster.livejournal.com]

\o/ \o/ \o/

[tree_and_leaf]

I KNOW!

[nineveh-uk.livejournal.com]

I have just got up, and it's just the spur I need to get myself to work for an early meeting!

I'll freely admit that I initially had some doubts as to whether Obama was all he was cracked up to be, but I have been increasingly impressed with him since the end of the primaries and now inclined to think that he may be a man to make a very good fist of it indeed. Just as long as the population doesn't actually expect miracles!

[azdak.livejournal.com]

I'm entirely prepared for the Tony Blair effect to set in (cynical? moi?), but I'd rather have my hopes let down than my nightmares realised. In other words, thank God it's the Democrats.

[nineveh-uk.livejournal.com]

thank God it's the Democrats

Oh yes.

Any long serving politician gets tarnished - of course, some help the process along a bit, but even so it's unavoidable. Decisions go wrong, time rolls on, journalists get bored, and Churchill presumably thought that the public would vote for him rather than the NHS. It will happen to Obama. In the meantime, hopefully one can have reasonable cause to believe that he will make better decisions than McCain would have!

[wellinghall.livejournal.com]

In the meantime, hopefully one can have reasonable cause to believe that he will make better decisions than McCain would have!

Of course, we can never know ... ;-)

[tree_and_leaf]

. In other words, thank God it's the Democrats.

Believe me, I do!

[tree_and_leaf]

I think it's brilliant. I keep smiling.

He's not a miracle worker (and I keep reminding myself superstitiously of T Blair - but I never actually liked Blair), but I think he's a very smart guy and a good politician, and I think he could do a very good job.

[thecatsamuel.livejournal.com]

Like the Gray quote. Am so relieved it's Obama and not McCain and particularly not Palin who really scared me. It's a making-history day!

[tree_and_leaf]

The quotation is brilliant (it's on the poetry wall at the Scottish parliament, IIRC, along with other good stuff).

[carlanime.livejournal.com]

McCain's speech was so gracious I got slightly teary-eyed over it.

[wellinghall.livejournal.com]

It was indeed very gracious - he has gone up in my estimation.

[tree_and_leaf]

Yes - it reminded my why I liked him, before the campaign kicked off.

[tree_and_leaf]

Yes, me too.