19 January 2017

Eight years ago

This is a photo I took in Paris in 2009. Barack Obama had been the U.S. president for six months, and we were still excited and optimistic about our country and the world. I remember the all-nighter we pulled on that election day.


It's a little harder to keep hope alive in 2017, but as president Obama says, we're going to be okay — with a little luck. Want a cliché? It's always darkest before the dawn.

13 comments:

  1. I guess you won't be pulling an all nighter for Trumpet's inauguration. Much to my relief, it happens at 3am our time and we will only have to see brief news reports.

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    1. No all-nighters now, but I was up most of the night in November when the votes were being counted. It was a shock and a disappointment to me.

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  2. We flew our U.S. flag proudly in 2008 and 2012. Neighbors stopped by to talk excitedly about Obama. No flag this time.

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    1. No, no flags now. We shall see what happens, but I am pessimistic. Walt's telling me that the Donald wants a weaker U.S. dollar. That will hurt us if he gets his way.

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  3. There are many who are telling us, "Grow up. Stop whining.", because we are in fear about this unstable man becoming president. I'm a staunch Democrat, but, I swear, it isn't because he's a Republican. It's because of the person that Donald Trump is, and the cabinet picks he is making, on top of it.

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    1. I am a Republican and I think it is a very dark day for all of us. Republican shmublican, we are all citizens of this country, the United States ... we will all gain or lose in the end ..

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  4. Hope that there are enough willing patriots inside the beltway to prevent the Executive branch from turning the US of A into a third world nation-state (politically).
    For the past two evenings, I have watch FRONTLINE on a PBS station about the election of President Obama and his 8 years as POTUS. I thought that I had followed both terms attentively but it looks like I missed quite a few things along the way. During his first week as President, the GOP decided to put "les bâtons dans la roue" as far as his policies are concerned as well as uniting the country. They didn't want him to have a second term and they did everything during his 2 terms to prevent him from achieving what he believed would be change for the country and the citizens.
    Now we will just have to watch what will happen next…The Young Guns who decided to go after him back in 2010 didn't realize what they were wishing for when they went after the Tea Party to stack both Houses. Some may have buyers' remorse, should he put Ted Cruz ( shut down the govt. to teach Obama a lesson !) as a candidate for SCOTUS.

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    1. Sort of a Be Careful What You Wish For, You Might Get It.

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  5. Uncharted waters, isn't it?

    My favorite quote on the whole thing was from a Washington Post editorial: "It's the Gong Show, without the gong."

    For those of you too young to remember that show, here's an episode:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yUThxC_mvIE

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  6. Going to Obama's inauguration was one of my favorite lifetime experiences- it was cold but we were all so very happy. Little did we know at the time what was to be in 2016. Still we had eight years and I seriously doubt that Trump will be able to hang in for four years. I hope that the democrats will make a huge comeback in 2018. Time will tell!

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  7. Sad day here. Not turning on the TV or listening to the radio. That won't make the situation go away, but it will keep me from being more depressed. Tomorrow I join my gray-haired friends for the Women's March on Washington, Champaign, Illinois edition. Over 1,700 women have signed up for the local march. The forecast for tomorrow is partly sunny and a high of 60 degrees (in Illinois in January but there is no global warming.)
    Harriett

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    1. How was the event, Harriette. Hope it felt good. Was it well attended? I was watching CNN this morning and it was encouraging to see so many people so involved and speaking out.

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