My kids are younger than John McCain.
As many of you know from reading this blog, I have two year old twins at home (they actually turn two on Sunday!). Words cannot describe the joy of knowing that their first presidential election was one where intelligence won out over the ideology of the lowest common denominator, one where an overwhelming majority of people rose up and said “I don’t give a shit about having a beer with the guy - I want the smartest f*****g person I can find sitting in that chair!”, one where the mainstream media seemed to finally do their job, one where hope won out over fear (of the unknown and of the Rove), one where honesty seems to matter once again, and - most importantly - one where the seemingly impossible was proven possible. It’s truly an awe-inspiring moment that makes me beyond proud of my fellow citizens because, to paraphrase something I read today on jedreport, not only will I be able to tell my kids (and, hopefully, their kids!) what happened today but because they won’t understand why it was so significant.
I’m also proud of - and extremely grateful for - the outpouring of support this little blog (and the accompanying book - now a collector’s item!) has received. I don’t know if either made even a small bit of difference in the election (I’d like to think that at least some of the 600,000-odd unique visitors to the site came with one opinion and left with something new to think about), but I enjoyed just about every minute of it. I sincerely thank all of you who submitted tips, made comments, and emailed words of encouragement.
As far as what’s next, stay tuned… I have an idea for a follow-up that I hope to launch very soon. But, for right now, I’m gonna go wake up my kids and give them each a kiss.
Good night all. Congratulations.
I am celebrating with friends while eating barbecue and drinking beer. We are happy and giddy right now!!!!
Woo-hoo! I knew wearing my blue scarf today would help.
Comment by Ann — November 5, 2008 @ 12:16 am
Thank you.
Comment by Rob T Firefly — November 5, 2008 @ 12:17 am
I’m happy that my child (i’ve got one on the way) will be born under a presidency of hope.
And happy that I won’t have to move out of the country while pregnant!
THANK YOU!
Comment by Brittany — November 5, 2008 @ 12:22 am
well done from Australia…
Comment by Troy — November 5, 2008 @ 12:23 am
Cheers!
Comment by Melissa — November 5, 2008 @ 12:25 am
oh goodie. will be teens when the rite takes over after peace and prosperity is too nice.
Comment by pansypoo — November 5, 2008 @ 12:27 am
Thank you so much - this has been so funny and great. It has been informative, funny, and insightful, and interesting way to protest and campaign against a candidate - McCain is conceding as I type.
Comment by Skywalker — November 5, 2008 @ 12:32 am
Thank you so much for this blog. Congratulations to your kids turning two!
Comment by Becky — November 5, 2008 @ 12:34 am
For your kids & mine I am so pleased with the choice America has made. I couldn’t ask for a better role model to show my son……he too is without a father’s support in life. I think Barack will made an excellent example for him that you too can do ANYTHING you set your mind to.
Thanks Joe & looking forward to hearing about you again with your next project.
Comment by not a hockey mom, just a mom — November 5, 2008 @ 12:38 am
I’ve been keeping the tears at bay all late night, but your post did it. No kids on my end yet, but just knowing that I’m not going to be embarrassed of the environment where I will be raising my own kids… Just wow.
Thank you for everything you’ve done here. My birthday’s in a week, and I’ve requested the book from just about everyone, so I’m sure to get at least one copy.
Again, thanks for doing this.
Comment by RsD — November 5, 2008 @ 1:00 am
This site made the whole campaign that much more bearable for me.
I am unemployed for the second time this year and expect to be until the first of the year. Plenty of jobs applied for but most are on hold pending next year’s budgets.
Obama’s election gives me the added faith and hope I need to keep going.
Appreciate you and your time and efforts to get this message out.
Comment by cynmac — November 5, 2008 @ 1:10 am
[...] Joe Quint, autor del blog Things younger than Mc Cain, en su última entrada tras la victoria de Barack Obama en los comicios de EE.UU. « Guitar Hero sabe [...]
Pingback by No lo dije yo, lo dijo… (LXII) « Bitácora personal de Pepe Flores — November 5, 2008 @ 2:39 am
Congratulations to your country
YES,YOU DID!
YES,YOU DID!
YES,YOU DID!
YES,YOU DID!
YES,YOU DID!
Thankyou for being the blog i visit most often in this year.
Cheers from Thailand.
Comment by s.s.s. — November 5, 2008 @ 2:44 am
Thank you for the humor and insight. Please keep us updated on your next project so we can follow along with you.
Comment by dsc805 — November 5, 2008 @ 2:47 am
My friends, job well done. I will miss McCain, in a way.
Comment by 51 years younger than McCain — November 5, 2008 @ 4:45 am
Thank you so much Joe.
I’ve been following the site everyday for the last six months, and the payoff for this whole journey has been amazing. Like Michelle, I too, for the first time feel proud of this country. I can’t wait to see what you have in store for us next…
P.S. I’m glad you think your book is a collector’s item now (it totally is)…I feel the same way about my I’m 51 Years Younger Than McCain shirt. An awesome souvenir for an historical time…never getting rid of it
Comment by Ed Futterer — November 5, 2008 @ 6:23 am
Congratulations to America!
Thank you for the blog, Joe.
Comment by Aqquila — November 5, 2008 @ 7:48 am
Happy birthday to your wee ones, and thank you so much for your entertaining, thought-provoking posts in the run up to this election. You’ve been great. Lots of love from Scotland xxx
Comment by last year's girl — November 5, 2008 @ 8:53 am
Well done OBAMA!
Great to see - Congrats from Northern Ireland
Comment by thehorseltd — November 5, 2008 @ 8:54 am
Thanks, Joe the Father, for everything you put into this project.
Comment by Jen — November 5, 2008 @ 9:42 am
As one of your oldest visitors I still vivdly remember the “N” word being used easily by parents, teachers and civic leaders, people actually arguing about civil rights and comments like “Will we have to let monkeys into our schools next?”
Wow.
Wow, wow, wow.
It’s a bright new day of pride casting light into the musty corners of eight dark years of shame.
Of course your book and blog played a role in this wonderful event - it’s not just the 600,000 uniques you touched, but also the millions to whom links were sent!
You provided a strong and well spun thread to be woven into the fabric of our time!
Comment by Dork — November 5, 2008 @ 9:58 am
20,
thanks jen - you got to me on that one… (i’m such a softy!)
Comment by admin — November 5, 2008 @ 9:58 am
I am so proud of the people of this country. We have turned away from the old boy politics and finally have a group of voters who recognize it’s time to really solve the issues affecting the daily life of our people. Your blog started off as a humorous site but quickly became a lightening rod for intelligent exchange between you and us.
Just as we were saddened by the fact that Obama’s grandmother lived one day short of this momentous occasion, I am sorry your father did not live to see the day that your input may have played a part in our people doing the right thing.
Comment by Martin R. — November 5, 2008 @ 10:06 am
23,
you and me both…
Comment by admin — November 5, 2008 @ 10:47 am
Congratulations US of A!! Obama gives the world hope. Can’t wait for your new President to visit Mexico.
Again, congrats.
Comment by Fernando — November 5, 2008 @ 10:48 am
You’ve got to give McCain credit for at least one thing: his concession speech last night was gracious.
May it usher in a new era of civility among the strident partisans on both sides of the aisle.
Comment by RCS — November 5, 2008 @ 10:57 am
Congrats for the USA!! I’m from Colombia and I know the importance of having a smart guy in the white house for my country.
Let’s hope change also arrives to this tropical lands soon, to give and end to this bloodbath.
Cheers!
Comment by Jorge — November 5, 2008 @ 11:07 am
“Our Deepest Fear” by Marianne Williamson
Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.
Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.
It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us.
We ask ourselves, “Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?”
Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God.
Your playing small does not serve the world.
There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you.
We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us.
It’s not just in some of us; it’s in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.
~~~
I found this to be really befitting of Obama and what he means to me. :o)
I wish him and his family the best and here’s to the next 8 years of good times ahead ! Amen ! :o)
~Dixie Liberal~
Comment by Dixie Liberal — November 5, 2008 @ 11:24 am
26,
McCain’s speech was indeed gracious. His audience, sadly, wasn’t.
Comment by Aqquila — November 5, 2008 @ 11:43 am
26, 29:
actually, i thought they were both very predictable.
“i just called my opponent to wish him…”
(cue audience): “boo! boo!”
(cut back to mccain - cue hands in air): “now, now, he ran a good…”
both were to be expected.
Comment by admin — November 5, 2008 @ 11:46 am
26,
“May it usher in a new era of civility among the strident partisans on both sides of the aisle.”
a nice sentiment - but i seem to recall an acceptance speech in 2004 where someone (who won by a smaller margin than obama’s) said “i earned political capital and i’m gonna use it.”… which is not exactly in the spirit of healing and bipartisanship.
i think we’ve earned a little bit of a payback period.
Comment by admin — November 5, 2008 @ 11:55 am
thanks for making me smile while I sweated out this election. It was still too neck and neck for my taste, but such a relief that the right guy won and for, I strongly believe, all the right reasons.
Comment by Linda — November 5, 2008 @ 2:22 pm
I’m nine months pregnant with my first child right now and am so excited that my baby will be born after this historical election.
Thank you so much for this blog. It helped me keep my sanity during this crazy election!
Comment by Chancy — November 5, 2008 @ 3:31 pm
Great job on the blog Joe! We celebrated with the baby in the wee hours last night knowing that precious hope has returned, and we won’t have to leave New Haven for South Africa! May those who thought they had no stake, no voice, no choice, rejoice!
Comment by DEZ — November 5, 2008 @ 4:57 pm
Well, if we’re going to quote things, I’ll sign off with this poem by a Welsh poet who prefers to go unnamed. Though it is more than a decade old, it is still younger than…well, you know.
And if this doesn’t move you in this glorious season, you might as well hang it up and turn out the lights.
Sometimes
Sometimes things don’t go, after all,
from bad to worse. Some years, muscadel
faces down frost; green thrives; the crops don’t fail.
Sometimes a man aims high, and all goes well.
A people sometimes will step back from war,
elect an honest man, decide they care
enough, that they can’t leave some stranger poor.
Some men become what they were born for.
Sometimes our best intentions do not go
amiss; sometimes we do as we meant to.
The sun will sometimes melt a field of sorrow
that seemed hard frozen; may it happen for you.
Comment by Jen — November 5, 2008 @ 5:09 pm
I have two sets of twins here. A smidge older though, 23 and 18, birthdays in May, 7 days apart….
Comment by Bryan Price — November 5, 2008 @ 5:14 pm
34,
thanks dave! good to hear from you…
Comment by admin — November 5, 2008 @ 5:22 pm
may my paternal unit stew.
Comment by pansypoo — November 5, 2008 @ 6:38 pm
Thanks for all the time and hard work that you dedicated to this site!
Comment by Emily — November 5, 2008 @ 6:52 pm
AND… mate … If you get a chance, check out my recently released US film - BeingDadUSA - all about pregnancy, but for the dad - would love your thoughts and advice how to develop it the way you have done here. Its based on our very successful film in Australia, and we are about to launch in the UK.
We have gotten a lot of publicity, everything from KTLA to Rachel Ray… would love to chat when things calm down for you.
http://www.beingdadusa.com
Please let me
Comment by Troy — November 6, 2008 @ 12:02 am
Joe thanks for this wonderful blog - it kept my spirits up and I have been checking in religiously since I came upon it. Has been a great connection for me to have as I am living abroad in Ireland (and fortunately have been during Bush’s reign of terror). So happy with our result yesterday - I am hopeful now - change is coming to America and it is coming from places that have been marginalised, oppressed and silenced. Finally people my age are starting to give a f@ck and stand up to be counted. We still have huge amount of work to do and I am not going to kid myself and say simply because we have elected black man that inequality no longer exists in our society, but I will say that this is the start of something much bigger and I look foward to being a part of that.
Can’t wait to read your next endeavour. Cheers.
Comment by a liberal — November 6, 2008 @ 5:09 am
Is is okay if I want to have a beer with our President Elect anyways?
Thanks for this page! I hope you decide to keep up political blogging in some way. I somehow feel that our senses of humor are quite similar…
Comment by Matt in Southampton — November 6, 2008 @ 1:11 pm
thx 4 this great blog
Comment by tha mojo — November 13, 2008 @ 12:14 pm
I seriously hope you get your new blog up and running SOON. I keep checking this site hoping for new stuff.. and leave bitterly disappointed
Comment by Chew.Rock — November 16, 2008 @ 9:50 pm