A Fine Point

Authors

The editors who craft the Post-Gazette’s daily stands on the issues affecting the region, the state and the nation hold an on-line conversation with readers about key topics in the news. The PG editorial writers are: Tom Waseleski, Reg Henry, Susan Mannella, Tony Norman and Dan Simpson.  

 Register to comment
Guide to commenting

Syndication

Blog roll



 

Recent Posts

Tags

View more

Archives

America is back

Tom Waseleski

With Barack Obama's landslide victory in the electoral vote last night, I was reminded of a very different election outcome on a very different night. In 1984, Republican President Reagan won a second term with his own drubbing of Democrat Walter Mondale. The vote was proof that Reagan was no fluke, a reality that I found depressing for the United States.

I came to work at the Post-Gazette the next day and one of the first persons I saw was Senior Assistant Managing Editor Eileen Shanahan, someone whose political views were similar to mine. I felt shell-shocked by the vote totals and told her, "I don't recognize this place anymore. I feel as though I've lost my country."

Fast-forward to 2008. I have a son who is a college senior in Ohio and who was a volunteer for the Obama campaign in the spring and the fall. Mike and I are on the same page politically and, while I certainly didn't work for Obama, I got to interview him along with the rest of the Post-Gazette Editorial Board this year. I was part of the decision we made to endorse him in the Democratic primary and again for president in the fall.

Mike views the eight years of George W. Bush in much the same way that I saw the two terms of Reagan. He sees crippling deficits, military adventurism and a callous disregard for dealing with the needs of average Americans. Last night at 11 o'clock my son called to rejoice in Obama's election and the Democratic gains in the House and the Senate.  I said, "I think you got your country back."

What are your thoughts after this historic election? Did you "get your country back"? Or do you feel differently?

Posted Nov 05 2008, 12:41 AM by Tom Waseleski
Filed under: , , ,

Comments

Lash wrote re: America is back
on Wed, Nov 5 2008 8:04 AM

Getting my country back! I could not have said it better! I hope this closes the book on one of the saddest chapters in U.S. history and certainly the most corrupt, incompetant and arrogant administration in my lifetime. Thanks you, America!

Traffic wrote re: America is back
on Wed, Nov 5 2008 6:07 PM

I feel differently. Bush was not a great president, but he was not the horrible person so many people made him out to be. I was on one of the forums today, and a poster told some people to stop bashing Obama because we have had to put up with 8 years of W's stuff (or something like that; I cannot seem to find the forum anymore).

So let me get this straight: I have had to listen to Bush bashers for eight years, but only 12 hours after the election was called, people are not allowed to be upset or say negative things because their candidate lost/the candidate that they did not like won?! Since the forum is now gone, I guess that gives me my answer.

Another poster talked about restoring the image of the country. I firmly believe that a big part of the tarnished image is that people did not stand behind Bush. It is one thing to disagree with a president, but to be so openly disrespectful as people have done, what good does that do? Unlike so many Bush bashers, I will stand behind the new president. I may not agree with most of his politics, but he deserves all of our respect.

In a way, I feel as if we have lost our country and the idea of hard work. Too many people think Obama is going to save them. I hope they are right and not disappointed. But how can people not be? Either you give everyone these tax cuts and fund health care and further increase the deficit. Or you have to tell the people that you won't be able to do all those things you promised.

stevedavis52 wrote re: America is back
on Wed, Nov 5 2008 7:46 PM

Read your history books.  This is going to be a disaster!!!!

www.dolans.com/.../president_obama_gallery.html

Vaughn wrote re: America is back
on Fri, Nov 7 2008 8:11 AM

An African American coworker and I just did our toast to Obama with glasses of Remy Martin VSOP cognac.  Fred, my coworker said, "I never thought I'd live to see the day... an African American will be President of the United States!  I said, Here's to a new America!   Fred is going to save the bottle and tell the story years from now to his kids (and someday to his grandkids).  I think I'll save mine and do the same.

Toadsly wrote re: America is back
on Sat, Nov 8 2008 11:01 AM

A Cautionary Tale of Deja Vu!

Back! Back! Back! Almost 50 years back through the mists of memory, when I was a strapping young man, a handsome Harvard-educated orator king and his sublime queen began to rule America's Camelot.

The Black Prince Richard and his minions tried to derail his coronation by implying John was a secret papist who would owe his primary allegiance to Rome.

Eventually these bigots were crushed and goodness buttressed by hope filled the kingdom!

The great king faced a terrible nuclear nightmare during the Cuban Missile Crises and forced the Soviet Union to succumb to his demands.

King John surrounded his throne with knights whose names still reverberate through history: Kissinger, Sorenson, Rusk, McNamara and his sibling Bobby.

1036 days into his reign an assassin destroyed Camelot!

Barack Obama reminds me of John Kennedy. For only the second time in my life, I feel providence has provided America with a president who can change the course of history and reverse America's decline.

If you echo my sentiments, then pray God will guide him and keep him save.

Villidiot wrote re: America is back
on Mon, Nov 10 2008 12:15 PM

The thing that strikes me with so many blogs/commentaries/newspaper editorials is the lack of effort in genuinely attempting to understand the "other side" (of the isle, debate, country, etc.)  The attitude by the party of the open-minded (self pronounced) so often seems to be derisive, &/or disdainful towards those with truly differing perspectives.  Defining oneself as open-minded, while simultaneously insinuating, or even outright defining the other side as close-minded (thereby conveniently establishing the unworthiness of that other side's perspective) is quite the antithesis of that which the "open-minded" have defined themselves as being.

I give the PG cudos for having a couple of conservatives on board.  However, looking at the list of PG editorial writers (Tom Waseleski, Reg Henry, Susan Mannella, Tony Norman and Dan Simpson) one can't help but  notice the apparent lack of equal POLITICAL diversity in this list of distinguished journalists.  Based on what I've read from the men in this list, there is at best a tolerance for the conservative perspective.  I say "men in this list" because I don't recall reading any pieces which reveal Ms. Mannella's political perspective.

Sincerely,

the Vill(age)idiot.