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"Batman" Headline Is a Stretch, But Prison Escape Story Could Be Its Own Movie
Believe it or not, there were people who actually voted for Arizona Senator John McCain in the 2008 Presidential election; 46 percent of America, in fact. And several of them live here in Chicago, the Obama Epicenter. The Trib talked to some of them over the weekend to learn about their understandable angst; one person even compared it to being a Cubs fan dealing with the White Sox World Series win in 2005.
Most of the McCain reactions the Trib seemed even-handed, especially in the face of Obama euphoria. Giao Nguyen said, "Where can I find a place that is Obama-free for just a short period of time? I fully appreciate the fact that he won and there deserves to be some degree of celebration, but there is such a thing as too much." Paul Kijak of Island Lake said, "You can't turn on the TV without it being in your face all the time." Only a few were of the doomsday variety.
"I don't really listen to the news as much anymore because that's all there's been lately," said Goldman, a Southern Illinois University graduate who voted for McCain. "I'm just trying to get over this one and hope there is a next election."
The feeling on the local Republican blogosphere as well, according to Steve Rhodes, is more, "What next?" Rhodes swung by several Illinois Republican sites after the election to gauge their reaction, including the Illinois Review. Most are coming to terms with it, some are even having a little fun, but most seem to be focusing on the future, namely the midterm 2010 elections.
While many feel pangs in seeing fellow citizens revelling in Obama's victory, the media shares some of the responsibility for the Obama Overload by continually shining the spotlight brightest on Obama, something we are not guilty of in the least. MSNBC showed video footage of Barack dropping Malia and Sasha off at school several times this morning within a one hour window. The trick is for the media (yes, us included) to figure out a balance. This was a historic election and it does put Chicago at center of America's political universe. The media coverage is always galvanized around a presidential hand-off, as well as a shift in political power. But coverage will only increase as Obama continues to pluck fellow Chicago politicians for posts in his cabinet and as the transition draws closer to the inauguration. Eventually, the media will find itself having to exercise discretion or it risks undermining the importance of Obama's election or trivializing the respect the event deserves.
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It's a fairly historic event and he's the hometown hero, but yeah, it's a bit much. My boss is a HUGE Obama booster and every day he's on about some bit of Obama trivia.
Get a good news RSS or read the BBC to get your news for a while (though even they are not immune) and the fever should pass.
Find it a bit hard to sympathize with McCain supporters though. The man and his imp ran a shameful campaign. Regardless of your views, McCain didn't do much to earn votes save spread a manure on the field.
I agree with the Obama overload. It's a huge deal but a bit over done.
What I don't understand is the idea that somehow we are going to become a socialists or a totalitarian dictatorship now that he's in power. I've heard alot of comments like Goldman's, "I'm just trying to get over this one and hope there is a next election."
The US has a system of check's and balances in place to ensure a president doesn't become a Czar. Why would it be different for Obama? I'm just happy to have a peace minded president rather than a war hungry man who would rather fight it out than talk. When you break it down anyone who is walking into the next four years in America is in for some real work after the mess that was made over the last eight years. Perhaps McCain should be relieved.
Those signs remind me of a sore Clinton loser who left up a *giant* HILARY! sign (twice as big as that cubs banner) for weeks after she *finally* quit.
i'm an Obama supporter and i'm on Obama overload. every day it's all Obama all the time on the Trib website as well as others ... it's just becoming too much.
"Obama smiles," "The Obamas go out for dinner," "Obama's first dog," "Obama likes candy," "Obama ties own shoe, farts."
he's a human being. he's not going to go into the White House, waive his hands and everything will go back to 'normal.' i agree, it's a historic win and should be celebrated and coveted and whatnot ... but seriously, when he gets into office and inherits this shit sandwich of a country with it's financial problems, debt, wars, etc., we'll see that he's not magical, he's just a man.
Regular people are only a small part of the "overload". I blame most of it on the who are the ones convering the minutia (spelled wrong, I know). The dog stories are the worse. They've parsed that 25 different ways and squeezed every angle out of it: What kind of dog? Which dogs are hypoallergenic? Where will the dog live in the White House? How many presidents have had dogs? The most famous presidential dogs. If a dog ran for president... ok made the last one up. It's Obama's fault, though. He just made a throwaway line and they have one with it. and that's just one example. I wish the media would stop with the micro reporting, because as you see, even though he has basically said nothing, people will soon take out their frustration on him.
What I don't understand is the idea that somehow we are going to become a socialists or a totalitarian dictatorship now that he's in power. I've heard alot of comments like Goldman's, "I'm just trying to get over this one and hope there is a next election."
The US has a system of check's and balances in place to ensure a president doesn't become a Czar. Why would it be different for Obama?
Amen. I've been saying this all election long. People declaring "If Obama is elected, this country will turn communist/socialist/Muslim/etc. and I'm like 'How?" There's a little thing called Congress and the president doesn't have free run to institute any law he or she wants. it astounds me.
There's a little thing called Congress and the president doesn't have free run to institute any law he or she wants. it astounds me.
So true. Although. admittedly, it didn't stop Bush from trying.
Obama's a center-right candidate full stop, hell in Europe he's a hard conservative.
They'd call Ike a liberal today...
There's a little thing called Congress and the president doesn't have free run to institute any law he or she wants. it astounds me.
I've got to jump on the bandwagon and agree with this 100%. The American people like to exercise the checks and balances system. Recent examples - '94 and '06. If Obama really does come out swinging in the first 100 days, and he doesn't please a lot of folks, you can look for a shift to the right in 2010.
I hope Obama does "come out swinging in the first 100 days." Paul Krugman explains exactly why in his New York Times Op-Ed "The Obama Agenda": tinyurl.com/3t54y9
correct article: tinyurl.com/5hg77v
Like I'm going to listen to Paul Krugman's opinion on the economy, what does he know.
I don't really mind (as one who opposed Obama) all the attention Obama's getting. Heck, it is an historic win.
Also, this "in-between" time, i.e., after election and before inauguration, is not a time where Obama is going to do much to criticize. Let him prepare. The test for the media will come after the inauguration.
The Obamedia has supported Obama before the election and there's no reason to think that they won't support him after the election. Once Obama does things that hurt the economy, I'll bet the media stays on his side. After all, he is their Messiah!
Where's the condo owner's favorite college football team flag in that picture? I couldn't find it but there must be one there somewhere.
Ward,
Hurting the economy any more's probably pretty impossible to do at this point. And chuckle's at you for living in denial of our current situation and the last 8 years that brought it about. You're the worst kind of ignorant, at least my Republican friends are willing to admit that eight years of Bush policy were an unmitigated disaster and are trying to look to the future. What can I say though, they're *real* classic conservatives, not screeching ditto-heads like yourself.
I'll try to be a better kind of ignorant.