Michael Moore sent out a stunningly excellent message this morning, titled "Pinch Me." Woody is mentioned in this excerpt :

We may, just possibly, also see a time of refreshing openness, enlightenment and creativity. The arts and the artists will not be seen as the enemy. Perhaps art will be explored in order to discover the greater truths. When FDR was ushered in with his landslide in 1932, what followed was Frank Capra and Preston Sturgis, Woody Guthrie and John Steinbeck, Dorothea Lange and Orson Welles.

We have the chance to come together as a nation in the way that was aborted in the fall of 2001 with the "go shopping" message. It's a time to work together to heal our nation and fix the massive problems we face. I was very happy to see Michael Moore say this (though his negative characterization doesn't apply to my Republican friends on arlo.net, it does apply to some I know locally), and I pledge to do my best to follow his advice:

Do not treat the Republicans in your life the way they have treated you the past eight years. Show them the grace and goodness that Barack Obama exuded throughout the campaign. Though called every name in the book, he refused to lower himself to the gutter and sling the mud back.

To read the entire message, go to http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/message/index.php?id=240

As to the "Now What?" title of the thread, it feels to me like the time when you prepare for spring cleaning; like it's time to get "my house" in order before being called on (in whatever way) to help get our nation in order. Lots to do ... Clean out the closets, balance the checkbook to the penny without 'cheating,' mend fences and contact "lost" old friends, etc., etc. Suddenly I have energy and the will do do a lot of things that have been sliding.

Now what you ask?
Well, more pain, more sacrafice and more hard work, but all with hope and progress. It may take more than four years of smart to fix eight years of stupid.Let the journey begin.

Can I get an amen. Followed by a "What, what" from the palin section.

Hooray! Yahoo! Yeowza! Yay! Alright! and Phew!!
After I voted, I came home and tried watching the early results but got too neurotic. So I watched the Marx Brothers in "The Cocoanuts" before I turned the news back on. I went from belly laughs to laughs of relief! Somebody lock up "Dubya" & Cheney for the next two months so they can't screw anything else up before they're outta here!!!

odd feeling walking around today being overtly proud to be American!

Amen!

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/stor ... d=96645472

well, here is an interesting bit of stupidity left over from years past. My reaction is (and has been for a while) why are we back sliding with "shows of strength" with a little bit of I will piss on you here and I will piss on you there. Now the previous President chose to install missile defense systems on the Russian Border. Now I am sure we all thought that a good idea? But now the Russians are pissing back (how unexpected). This will certainly test Obama's creativity?

http://www.npr.org/blogs/newsandviews/2 ... ts_in.html

Of course God's hand is all over this one. I personally think that as far as the government is concerned the institution of marriage is a matter of a contract between two consenting adults. Is more definition required? Let me think! NO

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/stor ... d=96669810

then there is still this mess?

It will be interesting to see the approach!

zap's post up there pretty much sums up how i felt
i also could not bear to sit and watch the news waiting on the results

but as to what now? yes that is a big question.

I had the day off and needed to pull myself away from the TV news... so I took a 2-hour drive up to Las Vegas, NM to look at the old Victorian houses, brighly colored leaves, and of course, rocks and dirt Saw some volcanic formations I'd never seen before, drove threw the Civil War's Glorieta Pass, ordered a traditional green-chili cheese burger with sauteed onions and mushrooms, and by the time I got home, the results were trickling in.

heard the whispers of a new grassroots organization trying to form...
based on the principles and hope... and healing....that Obama spoke to...
i have no clue about who it is or what it will be... but seems interesting...cautiously hopeful...here's...
http://www.growthehope.org

Thanks for that link, Kathy... It does look interesting.

Remembering that the operative word in 'yes we can' is WE!

Yeah.....thanks kj. I think it is a wise stratagy to not only embrace this first victory, but view it in the context of a solid foundation upon which we can continue to build and reinforce the concepts of hope and change. Now is the perfect time to keep up the momentum we have established and to ward off complacency, taking full advantage of the winds while they blow in our favor at this opportune moment.

Interesting that Obama has circumvented the lame duck period and speaking politics from behind a podium labeled office of the President Elect within days of the victory. He is certainly jumping into the role, that is for sure!

The sooner the better..........

Everything said here is pretty much what we here in Culpeper, VA, have been saying and doing, including the idea behind the 'Grow the Hope' site. We forged amazing friendships with so many of our volunteers during this campaign and we will continue this drive to make things better for all.

Election night we were all in the office watching results online, drinking wine or beer and eating cheese, crackers and other snack food. Because husband and daughter both had jobs to go to early in the morning, I left the office party and went home--possibly a good idea because of sheer physical and emotional exhaustion. When MSNBC announced the win, I was in complete emotional chaos, screaming, laughing, crying and dancing around the house. Our 3 dogs thought mom had gone nutz!

Our local Obama office is now empty, the signs and desks are gone from the living room of the house of a confederate general's family. We didn't turn Culpeper county blue but we did win the two precincts that comprise the city of Culpeper. We had centenarians voting for the first time. We had the daughter one of our poll workers helping her mom hand out literature to the people in line. She was a beautiful 7 yr old so enthusiastic for Obama that even McCain supporters were taking her literature. Someone asked her why she supported Obama. Her response, "Because his little girls look like me."

I guess we were under a world microscope because we had German news ADR at the office interviewing and filming, BBC news filming and interviewing and I hope they didn't use my 'smart ass, don't get serious Darra because then you get emotional talking about it' answer, a Portuguese newspaper also came in a few weeks ago to interview.

It's been an amazing journey and I hope we don't drop the ball after having been tossed this fantastic opportunity to get out there and prove that the 'WE' the people can get positive things done for ALL people of ALL colors, of ALL faiths, of ALL sexual orientations and ALL stations in life.

That is my HOPE.