America Has Spoken

Photo La Dépêche du Midi. N. DebbicheThree weeks ago, I mailed my absentee ballot in to the Montgomery County Board of Elections, casting my vote for Barack Obama as President and Joe Biden as Vice President of the United States of America. 

For the last few months, my French friends have been demanding that I tell them who was going to win the U.S. Presidential election.  But I was unable to answer their queries, given that I'd long ago misplaced my crystal ball. 

Along with everyone else, I had to ride out the wild twists and turns of the American presidential campaign.  I had to watch as a global economic crisis claimed one country after another.  I watched as notable Republicans defected and broke on through to the other side.  The drama!  And then I watched as the final hours of the 2008 campaign played out before the world.  I spent 15 hours riveted to our flat screen TV.  At turns, I held my breath, bit my nails, closed my eyes, and drank Armagnac (flambéd with a cube of sugar). 

But for the Armagnac, the waves of anxiety and joy I experienced yesterday, were very much reminiscent of another long day and night 18 years ago today, during which I labored to bring a new life into this crazy world.  It was November 1990 and there was another Bush in the White House.  The word "Iraq" was beginning to appear in newsprint and to be uttered on the lips of broadcast journalists and Washington pundits.

Fast forward four Bush Administrations later.  Terror.  War.  Financial Meltdown.  Widespread unemployment.  Global warming.  A trillion dollar budget deficit.  Alienated allies.  A growing band of enemies.  Dread.

Last night the American people spoke.  "Enough!" 

Today, I speak.  "Happy Birthday, Saba!" 

Your present - a new president.  The times they are changing and we've got a lot of cleaning up to do.

*****

Lisez l'article paru dans La Dépêche du Midi : "42 Américains devant leur télé la nuit dernière"