Reply #24: Intriguing questions. Here's my off the cuff (un-thought-through) answers [View All]

[Bucky]

            1. the most shocking thing you witnessed in this campaign?

Lieberman getting off without even a wrist slap. It may end up making sense in the long run. It may be very "turn the cheek"ish of Obama. But I never expected it.

            2. the easiest-to-predict event in this campaign?

Biden for Vice President. Anyone who thought it would have been Clinton was a fool or a tool.

            3. the person who shook up the field the most (for good or for bad, can be a candidate, a pundit, a blogger, a pollster...anyone you wish)?

Tie: Michelle Obama: Her performance as life partner to the future leader of the free world was nearly flawless.
      and Bill Clinton: He was so off his game, it hurt to watch.

            4. the most worrisome event during this campaign for you?

The vicious feuding between Clinton & Obama supporters and how quickly it degenerated into charges of racism and sexism. In the end it didn't matter, but I was very surprised to see so many liberals acting so illiberal.

            5. the element/theme/meme from this campaign that will stick with us for years to come?

That we're a post-racist society. We still have racism and we still have other race-related issues. But the tiresome meme that all conservatives are racist is dying off. The anti-gay hatred is with us for a long time to come, but I think real progress was made (or at least ratified) on the question of race in America.

            6. the person you ended up hating more than anyone after the election?

George Bush & Dick Cheney. I'm remarkably consistent.

            7. the person you ended up liking more than you thought you would after the election?

John McCain. He's still a hollow man who sold out to the bad guys, but he's ultimately a likeable guy and a good family man.
Close second is Todd Palin. When he gritted his teeth through Greta Van Sustren calling him "First Dude" a thousand times and just said "you can really just call me Todd" I was able to forget how absurdly horrible his politics are and just recognize him as a guy who, however wrongheaded, is just trying to do his best by his family.