It will take years. But..I have hope.

Well, say what you will about my opinion, but here it is.

First, I got to witness a monumental historical event. I never thought, in my life time, that I would get the privilege of seeing an African American elected as President. This Country has been fighting that battle for years, whether it was through taking a stand as a citizen, or by our Military fighting for our right to equality and freedom. And it's about time, we became united and stood up for those rights for everyone!

Secondly, I am extremely proud of the fact that so many people came out and exercised their right to vote! Did you know that in this election, for 1 out of 10 people, this was their first time voting. That means out of the 118,371,864 people that voted, 11,837,186 voted for the first time in their life! Americans decided to take a stand about what they believed in, instead of just sitting down and taking what was dished out.

I think that Americans finally got sick and tired of what our country was becoming and we aren't going to take it anymore. We, as a whole, have come to the decision that we aren't going to just let our government officials do what they please. We are going to make them earn that title, and live up to, not only the promises that they have made, but also to be accountable for their actions. We aren't just going to complain anymore, we are going to do something about it!! And I think now that we as a Country have become united on that stance, we can and will see those changes come about!

I am proud that I got to be a part of history yesterday and I can say, that it was one of the greatest experiences of my life. And not only did I get to see history being made, but my daughter got to see it too. And I am proud to say that I am a citizen of The United States of America!

I think it speaks highly of our nation that less than a century removed from the horrible stain of institutional racism we have our first African American President. As an American, I'm proud to live in a country where such things are not only possible but in fact a reality.

But the biggest insult I could pay President Elect Obama would be to consider his color a victory in spite of his policies and beliefs. To be fair I have to consider the man's policies and his beliefs as a politician. There is little doubt that I will disagree with much of what he has to say and the direction he envisions for our nation. But that has nothing at all to do with his ethnicity. To suggest that my not voting for him or agreeing with him hints of some form of deep rooted racism is as stupid as it is insulting, both to him and to me.

I like this OP's question and it is one worth consideration but this is about politics and about policy and not about the color or gender of the person in the office. But I'll not pull punches or avoid honest critique because I fear being labeled anymore than I did when Bill Clinton was in office. I've been tough on Republicans as well, and I did not cast a vote for John McCain.

I believe that Barack Obama was elected based on hyperbole and symbolism. That stated, he ran a smart and almost flawless campaign. I wish he had been pressed to answer more of the legitimate issues that were raised and I think some of his answers point to an absurd credulity of some of his supporters. Still, he won. He did what he had to do and he won.

-Drew

You're opening question of "will anyone admit this?" implies that you would not believe anyone who said race did not have anything to do with their not voting for Obama.

You know what, just mark me down for disliking him for his race. If you didn't have a problem with whom he called friend or his ideas of spreading the wealth around, then you will probably just call me a racist when I point those things out again.

I'm not lamenting though, I'm actually relieved. My worst fear was a close election. I'm happy for Obama and his supporters (which includes by BLACK* girlfriend) and hope that he is able to walk away with a strong legacy.

*Don't forget, I'm a racist, because I supported McCain. And I won't forget that you are a race-baiter with too much time on your hands.

I think it's an honest question.

Its a called taxes and 95% of what FDR Called "the New Deal"

But notice he didn't talk about the causes to these issues....

Wasn't he only allowed about 3 minutes to speak? He had to spend at least a minute correcting what McCain said about his issues. McCain kept doing that.

The fact of the matteris that your question was the premise for a racial debate and this political year has spurred too many of them.

Ron Paul did it during the debates. He spoke out against corruption, gave the underlying cause of our problems, and proposed solutions to them...

If Obama did the same, I would totally have his back. But, because he doesn't want to solve the problem, just appear like he does, means that i cannot fully support him...

But I shall be watching...