Well, the President of the United States has been decided. Obama won. I honestly can’t say that I’m disappointed.
No president would do all of the things that I want him to do, but I think Obama is going to steer this country in the right direction. Less foreign intervention, more multilateralism and better relations with our allies, more economic regulation, etc.
The only thing I’m really worried about is the fact that the Democrats have such a commanding lead in the Senate–I would rather have the branches of government balanced between the parties, especially when one party nearly has the sixty votes necessary to ride out a fillibuster. But I’m not too worried.
Obama’s acceptance speech was very good. I like how he emphasized his family and his wife. The more I listen to him, the more he strikes me as a well-meaning, honest family man. He just seems like a clean statesman in a country filled with ridiculous political scandals. It’s going to be interesting to see who he picks as his advisors and cabinet members.
So, overall, I can’t say I’m disappointed. I’m optimistic that the next four years will see increased American credibility in the world and a government that can stand up to the domestic crises of our times and lead us through. We’ll see whether I’m wrong.
The election issue that I’m most interested in, however, is Prop 8 in California. This isn’t just because I served my mission there–it’s because I think that this election will deal a decisive blow to either the gay-rights movement or the traditional family. I wholeheartedly believe that marriage is an institution between a man and a woman, and that the state should uphold this institution defined as such. In a dramatic move, the LDS church has stepped into this issue and mobilized its adherents across the nation to vote, volunteer, fast, and pray for this ballot initiative to pass.
Fortunately, it looks like it’s going to happen. We’ll know for sure in the morning. I’m almost too nervous to watch, but inshallah, it will happen.
In the meantime, not a lot of writing today. Between elections, homework, and exhaustion, I slipped in about 570 words. Not bad, but I want to keep those pointers in the red all through November.
