Last Tuesday Americans went to the polls and made a historic decision. The significance of the 2008 election is beyond the ability of one short news story to contain. Pundits and historians will be analyzing this moment in our country’s history for many years to come.
Whatever the experts finally decide, one thing is clear, President-elect Barack Obama and Vice President-elect Joe Biden will have to take over the governing of a nation with problems. Our economy is on its way to a serious recession. Four million Americans are still without health coverage. We’re entangled in two wars that are going to take finesse, diplomacy and no small amount of patience to resolve. There is no shortage of issues for this new administration to tackle. So, what do everyday voters think they should take on first?
“I’m excited and nervous.” said Betty Eichwald. The 52-year-old Moorpark Unified School District employee voted early Tuesday morning to avoid long lines. “I think he should take a serious look at the economy and health care. People need decent health coverage. It’s ridiculous that we don’t have that in America.”
Eichwald works with a disabled student at a public school in Moorpark. Like many voters, she said she is also concerned about the state of the education system in America, but she stressed the importance of the economy. “If the economy is a mess, it’s hard to deal with anything else,” she said.
Recent reports from the Bureau of Labor Statistics suggest that the economy poses a major challenge for the country as a whole. October saw the loss of another 240,000 jobs, making this the 10th month is a row to report significant job losses. The unemployment rate has hit a 14-year high with 6.5 percent of Americans now out of work.
The economy isn’t the only thing on people’s minds these days. Patty Packinham, an administrative assistant from Northridge is most concerned about our presence in Iraq.
“We need to bring our troops home as soon as we safely can,” Packinham said. “This war was a lie and too many people have paid for it with their lives.”
The 2008 election saw the inclusion of many new, first-time voters such as Packinham. The Obama campaign used grass-roots efforts to reach the people, but they also got high-tech. Obama’s ads could be found in video games and on the internet. It should be no surprise, then that they are using the internet to once again get in touch with voters.
At the website, http://www.change.gov/, President-elect Obama has set up a page where Americans can write to his administration directly and tell them what they think the focus should be in the coming term. A statement on the tab entitled “American Moment” reads, “This transition is about selecting a new staff and agenda that will help reclaim the American dream and bring about positive lasting change to this country. In order to do that, we want to hear from you.”
Readers are then led to an on-line form where they can do just that. It is unclear what significance these suggestions will have for the new president-elect. Some people just like the tone Obama is setting by simply asking the people what they think.
“It’s a big change from the way the last eight years have gone,” said Packinham. “It’s nice to feel like we have a voice.”
Packinham was sitting in a coffee shop with her laptop when I interviewed her. After showing me the Obama web site, she led me to another.
Rachel Maddow, the political pundit and MSNBC news host of The Rachel Maddow Show ran an unscientific poll on her website this past week asking the public what they thought should be on Obama’s “To Do List”. Of the 9,003 votes cast, the economy lead with 37 percent, universal healthcare is second with 10 percent and climate change/environmental issues came in third with 6.3 percent of the votes. It seems the economy is the hot topic of the day.
Some people have other concerns, though. Brendan Hooley and Chris Panagakis are excited about the new president, but are most concerned about the passage of Proposition 8 in California. Prop 8 passed with approximately 52 percent of the vote. It eliminates the right of same sex couples to legally marry. Hooley and Panagakis got married this September, after the state supreme court granted same-sex couples the right.
“How would every married couple in the state feel if suddenly their relationship status went into legal limbo,” said Hooley. “That’s what we are going through right this very moment.”
Hooley and his partner planned to attend an upcoming rally in West Hollywood to protest the passage of Proposition 8. Many similar rallies are planned throughout the state. It is unclear at this point what will happen to the 18 million same-sex couples who got married before November 4th.
After almost two years of campaigning, the 2008 presidential elections are finally over. The ramifications of the decisions made on November 4th are going to be felt for years to come. While many voters are relieved, excited and anxious about the days to come, it is clear there are many battles yet to be fought. In the end, there can be only one winner…or loser - the American people.
Whatever the experts finally decide, one thing is clear, President-elect Barack Obama and Vice President-elect Joe Biden will have to take over the governing of a nation with problems. Our economy is on its way to a serious recession. Four million Americans are still without health coverage. We’re entangled in two wars that are going to take finesse, diplomacy and no small amount of patience to resolve. There is no shortage of issues for this new administration to tackle. So, what do everyday voters think they should take on first?
“I’m excited and nervous.” said Betty Eichwald. The 52-year-old Moorpark Unified School District employee voted early Tuesday morning to avoid long lines. “I think he should take a serious look at the economy and health care. People need decent health coverage. It’s ridiculous that we don’t have that in America.”
Eichwald works with a disabled student at a public school in Moorpark. Like many voters, she said she is also concerned about the state of the education system in America, but she stressed the importance of the economy. “If the economy is a mess, it’s hard to deal with anything else,” she said.
Recent reports from the Bureau of Labor Statistics suggest that the economy poses a major challenge for the country as a whole. October saw the loss of another 240,000 jobs, making this the 10th month is a row to report significant job losses. The unemployment rate has hit a 14-year high with 6.5 percent of Americans now out of work.
The economy isn’t the only thing on people’s minds these days. Patty Packinham, an administrative assistant from Northridge is most concerned about our presence in Iraq.
“We need to bring our troops home as soon as we safely can,” Packinham said. “This war was a lie and too many people have paid for it with their lives.”
The 2008 election saw the inclusion of many new, first-time voters such as Packinham. The Obama campaign used grass-roots efforts to reach the people, but they also got high-tech. Obama’s ads could be found in video games and on the internet. It should be no surprise, then that they are using the internet to once again get in touch with voters.
At the website, http://www.change.gov/, President-elect Obama has set up a page where Americans can write to his administration directly and tell them what they think the focus should be in the coming term. A statement on the tab entitled “American Moment” reads, “This transition is about selecting a new staff and agenda that will help reclaim the American dream and bring about positive lasting change to this country. In order to do that, we want to hear from you.”
Readers are then led to an on-line form where they can do just that. It is unclear what significance these suggestions will have for the new president-elect. Some people just like the tone Obama is setting by simply asking the people what they think.
“It’s a big change from the way the last eight years have gone,” said Packinham. “It’s nice to feel like we have a voice.”
Packinham was sitting in a coffee shop with her laptop when I interviewed her. After showing me the Obama web site, she led me to another.
Rachel Maddow, the political pundit and MSNBC news host of The Rachel Maddow Show ran an unscientific poll on her website this past week asking the public what they thought should be on Obama’s “To Do List”. Of the 9,003 votes cast, the economy lead with 37 percent, universal healthcare is second with 10 percent and climate change/environmental issues came in third with 6.3 percent of the votes. It seems the economy is the hot topic of the day.
Some people have other concerns, though. Brendan Hooley and Chris Panagakis are excited about the new president, but are most concerned about the passage of Proposition 8 in California. Prop 8 passed with approximately 52 percent of the vote. It eliminates the right of same sex couples to legally marry. Hooley and Panagakis got married this September, after the state supreme court granted same-sex couples the right.
“How would every married couple in the state feel if suddenly their relationship status went into legal limbo,” said Hooley. “That’s what we are going through right this very moment.”
Hooley and his partner planned to attend an upcoming rally in West Hollywood to protest the passage of Proposition 8. Many similar rallies are planned throughout the state. It is unclear at this point what will happen to the 18 million same-sex couples who got married before November 4th.
After almost two years of campaigning, the 2008 presidential elections are finally over. The ramifications of the decisions made on November 4th are going to be felt for years to come. While many voters are relieved, excited and anxious about the days to come, it is clear there are many battles yet to be fought. In the end, there can be only one winner…or loser - the American people.
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