GRACIOUS

[Maureen Johnson]

This morning, I was sitting there with my cup of tea, reading the news.

And the news, I have to say, was kind of fabulous. There were some incredibly enjoyable things on there, things that would have DESTROYED THE FABRIC OF MY MIND just three days ago. Like Bill O'Reilly, for instance, going on for FIVE ENTIRE MINUTES on Sarah Palin's incompetence. Like how she didn't know Africa is a continent, not a country. Or what countries are in North America.

This was on FOX.

"Tee hee," I said to myself. "Tee hee hee hee hee hee hee. Also, that's what we've been telling you for two months."

Wonderful as all this is . . . we have to go beyond that. It's good that people are now hearing the truth, but I guess we have to take some care in how to handle this situation.

I know a lot of you come from conservative homes and families. Me too. (Family, I mean. New York City is STILL partying.) If I called up my dad right now, gloating, it wouldn't really accomplish anything. It would just make him mad, and upset. And I would end up looking like a tool.

We have to be gracious. Like Obama. Obama is supremely gracious. He has to be, because like he said in his acceptance speech, he has to be President to all.

WE don't have to be President to all, but we can help him do his job by showing kindness. Obama isn't 100% right and McCain 100% wrong. We are all in this together.

So . . . as I watch that Fox clip for the 24th time in a row, while flipping through the collection of Sarah Palin articles that are popping up everywhere . . . I'm trying to remind myself: DO NOT BE A JERK. People voted with their hearts, and some of their hearts were broken. For the best, we would say, but it still hurts for them. So I'm trying to take a tip from my President and show some class. Luckily, he has it to spare.

I am also reading through all your great suggestions for the site! I am doing it slowly. Please forgive. I needed a few days to catch up on . . . my life. And my book. I'll be updating on that and giving out those books on Saturday!

[WWW.OBAMAFORMAMAS.COM]

Hey Maureen! How you doing? Havn't been on here for awhile site looks good! Go Obama!

www.obamaformamas.com

Obama For Mamas

[Runa]

Sarah, I DEFINITELY agree with your comment. We had kids in my math class, kids who I thought were SO much smarter than that, gleefully theorizing when exactly President-Elect Obama would be assassinated :(
I'm fine with being respectful to the "other side", but only if they show some respect as well. Nothing wrong with having differing opinions, it's when those opinions get to be too extreme that things go wrong.

[emozolik]

Something else no one has brought up: How quick the right turns on their candidate when they fail. So Palin and McCain didnt win? Do we NEED a fall-person to take the blame? Clearly the majority populous was more interested in the alternate message. I guess I'm not too surprised, these are after all the same people who were screaming "off with his head!" and "terrorist!" about Obama at their McCain rallies. Its just sad and disturbing how quick their anger lingers and manifests/directs in other ways. I don't remember the Democrats demonizing Gore in 2000 (even with the supreme court decision) and Kerry in 2004. In fact, Kerry is still an integral part of party leadership and may have a cabinet position come January.
Even my republican friends have turned on Bush in the past year. Normally, I'd be quick to agree and happy they changed their minds, if their opinions hadnt changed with the overall popular opinion (lets face it, its trendy not to like the man!). These same people were staunch McCain/Palin supporters and are now the same ones trashing them.
I can understand their frustration and anger. Lets face it, Republicans supported a President who for 8 years did almost nothing to further the causes of the party (save for some tax cuts). McCain seemed to be THEIR chance for real change, but it was too late, but country as a whole grew too sick of inefficient conservatism. A conservative movement that promised too much and delivered way too little!

[Joanne]

Maureen:
Thanks so much for starting this blog. I started coming here when I was introduced to your site for my Educational Technology class. It was my choice to join this blog, which is my first blog experience.
It also helps that I am and will continue to be a big fan of our pres.-elect Obama. I had a chance to make phone calls as a volunteer for him and I had never done that before.

I agreed with your comment about being gracious!! I do not think some of our fellow Americans, who do not agree with our devotion to Obama, are ready to give him a chance. He will do his magic by being super bright, well educated and ready to run the show!! I believe in him and pray that he can do great things with the co-operation of all of us and the Congress, too.

I am also a great fan of reading both for pleasure and for study. This week in our class the topic of "Twilight Moms" was brought up in our discussion. Unfortunately I have had my head in the sand with so much school readings that I had to ask what was "Twilight" Now I know I need to lighten up and pick up some lighter reading than all my class stuff. I plan to get a copy of Twilight and read for fun.

May the positive winds of the muses be with you while you write ....

The force of positive wind blows through most of your blog. Congrats for providing a place for like minds to meet.
I could not sleep and so here I am in the wee hours of the morning sending you my best for more good chats. I plan to stay in touch with those of you on YA.

[Christine Norris]

Ugh, life totally got in my way these last few weeks, but I'm SO GLAD it's here, and I'm glad we have some hope for the future today!

[Good Old Tom Stohlman Jr.]

ZeFrank is leading a gracious meme:
From 52 to 48 with Love

[sarah]

I completely agree. I have plenty of Republican friends and going to school one day saying "Ne-na~I voted for the winning candidate" isn't going to be a good start to a conversation.

But those girls in my math class, the ones that talk openly about killing Obama, I'm really going to smack them. Lol... just kidding... sorta...

[Maria D]

I understand the need to be gracious. My two fellow editors on my school paper are both Republican and at our last meeting on Wednesday, I was pretty sure that my managing editor was going to start crying. So I can control myself around them. As for the rest of my classmates, whom I don't have to maintain good working relationships with, I become conveniantly scarce when they start yelling "Obama is a racist Communist!" To avoid, you know, hitting them.
But more than we are Republican or Democrat (or Independent), we are Americans, and I really hope that it doesn't take people the rest of his presidency to realize that.
Have fun getting back to life Maureen. You should reward your awesomeness with that "Sing Star Abba" game coming out this month!

[Annette Curtis Klause]

Maureen, you've done a wonderful job with this site. And YAY for everyone who participated. Those are kind and generous words you post today. I've been feeling somewhat the same. Let's be gracious and be one people. Hugs all round.

[Audrey]

agreed. Be good sports people!