First, I do want to congratulate Senator Obama and Senator Biden. More importantly, congratulations to those of you who worked so hard and believed so strongly in your candidate and his ability to lead the country. Nothing I say after this is intended to in anyway diminish what you have accomplished or what Obama and Biden have achieved (or may achieve in the future.)

President-elect Obama does not inspire me with hope for the future. He never has, and that's part of the reason why he did not earn my vote.

What does inspire hope is the faces of people in the crowds at Grant Park last night. Jesse Jackson. Nameless people of color. People who have struggled and worked for this country and must surely have felt, at times, that this would never happen. Thinking about inner city children of color. Rural backwoods children of color. Thinking about all of the people I've known and called friends who somewhere deep inside dreamed of this but dared not hope for this.

That brings me hope.

But, I see stormy waters ahead for our new president - and those storms have little to do with race issues that still exist in this country (and the world.) They have to do with foreign and domestic policies. They have to do with an economy that just plain stinks. They have to do with a campaign platform that I don't believe our new president can come anywhere close to making good on.

I see a storm...

Lisa asks us what we will do, as individuals, to change America.

I think the most important thing I can is to reflect upon the faces of hope and stay positive when faced with the stormy waters we're going to face together.

~Denise
(BlogHer is non-partisan but our editors and staff may not be. Please visit our News & Politics topic for blog posts representing all areas of the political spectrum.)

At least, not in the end, since up until the very last second (literally), I was not an undecided voter but a conflicted voter. But he is -- or soon will be -- my president. 

When the election was called last night, I found unexpected tears on my cheeks. They dried, however, and I found myself fascinated by the four classy women at the next table, watching the restaurant televisions with wide -- yes teary -- unbelieving eyes. They sat with straight spines, proud, hopeful. 

And THAT gave me hope. Gave ME reason to hope that Obama's victory is right for the country. 

By the end of the night, we were exchanging hugs. And THAT really gives me hope. 

Yes, they were African American, yes that mattered. But more, it was their youth, their hope, that truly moved me. 

Alanna Kellogg
Kitchen Parade &
A Veggie Venture

This morning as I was driving my daughter to daycare, I actually thought, now there are no more excuses.  I have to get involved.

I'm upset about healthcare. I'm upset about the lack of subsidized childcare.  I don't know what to do about it but write.  I'd love for someone to just tell me what to do, how I can help leave the world a better place than I found it.

Surrender, Dorothy - When I was your age, we just let them ride in the back window.

Rita Arens is a contributing editor for BlogHer -- Mommy & Family.

Personally, last night was a great night on many levels. However, I also realize that this is just the beginning. The dialogue amongst Americans of all political flavors needs to shift from "I" to "We." This is our country and we all need to step up and contribute if we want to get through this difficult time.

President-elect Obama is part of that as well as the other elected officials, whether they are serving us locally or representing our communities in Washington, DC. 

For those who are sore because their candidate of choice did not win yesterday, there definitely has to be a healing process. I'm hopeful that President-elect Obama will take the lead in that, but individually, we all need to step up and put the best interests of our country ahead.

Indeed, President-elect Obama is inheriting a host of problems and as he mentioned last night, it won't be fixed overnight. I just hope the electricity felt last night over the course of his campaign continues and people who may have just become involved in the political process continue to be engaged and work to effect change locally and nationally. 

We're all in this together.

A. L. Venable is a Random Citizen. She primarily writes at Dimple and a Smirk (dot) com and Our PDX Network.

I am hopeful for our future.  I truly believe that Barack Obama was the best choice to be our president at this very critical time.  I believe that he has the ability to unite and help us to be better than we've been these past few years.  But like the others that have posted, we have so much to do.  The economy is in the worst shape that I can remember (and, personally, I've hardly worked the past two months).

But hope is a powerful emotion.  That's what keeps us going, and many of us got a huge infusion of it last night.

http://www.storyrhyme.com/jcsblog/files/1929b8505d36b691fa397c46e5796d2c-78.html

http://www.storyrhyme.com/jcsblog

I think it is a wonderful day to see a man of mixed descent reach the White House. To me it shows the ultimate unity when the country can come together, put their racial differences aside, and vote for a man born of the union of a white woman and a black man when in years past both white and black people have discriminated against people of mixed descent. There is no greater symbol of unity that I can imagine. Congratulations to Obama and I pray that the country stands behind him all the way. He is a highly intelligent man with great conviction. May God Bless him and his family as they embark on this treacherous journey to save this country.

Hope, however, as expressed last night is a very nebulous thing. What is hope? What you hope for is certainly different than the person standing next to you.

 "Yes we can..." Yes, we can what? Americans already volunteer and donate at levels unheard of in the rest of the world. My family has always had a tradition of giving of ourselves and our resources. My father was orphaned and grew up in a sharecroppers life, so he understood poverty and eventually sharing any success that came his way. We were the original pay-it-forward family. But it takes more than volunteerism and generosity. Each and every person in this country must claim personal responsibility for themselves, their decisions and their elected officials. What that means is that we must pay close attention (even though are lives are busy) to everything our elected officials are doing. We must send the message loud and clear to Washington that we're not afraid to vote the incumbents out. This is where our power lies. You represent us in a responsible fashion or you're going home.

 Much of the financial mess falls upon individuals who made very bad decisions and lawmakers who turned a blind eye to the regulators who were attempting to sound the alarm. Do you watch the house proceeding on TV? You should. Do you follow the voting records of your senators and congressmen? You must. 

Obama was right about one thing. You have the power. Will you exercise it? It requires work on your part.  

 Suzanne, the Farmer's Wife

I agree with Rita, that now is the time to get involved.

I have previously looked around me and wondered how we all became so apathetic, but last night proved me wrong. Our country needed some remedial action for so long and yet we all just seemed to sit around and take whatever came along. Now we seem to have decided not to be so passive after all which is an amazing thing. We do need to all get involved to make a difference and I think that for those of us who are already working full time and are mothers, the challenge is finding the time to do it

I would like to be more actively involved in politics but am wondering how to get started.

One of my greatest passions in life is the plight of our children.  There are soo many more of them being raised by grandmothers and even those living with parents are not being REARED. Our teens often have no distinction about what is proper for when becuse no one ever bothered to teach them.  They wear the same clothes to school, church and job interveiws and think it is OK.  Not to harp on Palin, but it is one of the things that got under my skin about her.  The vast majority of our girls cannot go on "cute and folksy" and be taken seriously.  It was just the wrong message. So now it is time for me to stop talking and start doing. 

1) I emailed several church members today about starting a youth bible study that includes life skills: budgeting, interveiwing, cooking and speaking.

2) I also plan to champion a yearly prom dress givaway for girls who do not want to or can't  spend a small fortune on a dress.  As well as a suit givaway for women going into the workforce.  

3) I am planning cooking classes for kids and moms on healthy eating and shopping on a budget.

Then there is myself.  I plan to finish that masters I am paying student loans for and never got.

As my mom would say to whom much is given.......

Michelle

I blog at http://www.mommycan.blogspot.com/

 The Senate, refreshed every 20 minutes. Take time each evening to see what's been accomplished. 

http://www.senate.gov/pagelayout/legislative/a_three_sections_with_tease...

 U.S. House of Representatives

http://clerk.house.gov/

Bookmark these and check back frequently. 

Suzanne, the Farmer's Wife

I am *impressed*. Life skills are a huge issue for people that age -- I have had some long talks lately with my 12-year-old son about what to wear and why. I would love to get my hands on some young women and share my opinions of dress code and how what you wear can fundamentally change how you're perceived.

Bravo. Now I'm wondering if there's a prom dress giveaway in your area and how we could help you reach other women who want to help out...

Lisa Stone
BlogHer Co-founder
Surfette

BlogHer is non-partisan but our bloggers aren't! Follow our coverage of Politics & News.

http://www.jlkd.org/kd/npo.jsp?pg=projects&article=513

 Prom and special occasion dresses, sponsored by the local Junior League. Call your local newspaper for information on similar programs. They are a great source of information.

 Suzanne, the Farmer's Wife

I wrote about this at length on my blog today. I was surprised to realize when I awoke this morning that the weight that had been lodged in my chest hadn't lifted...not really - even after my candidate won. So I revisited a few of my "faithful" writers, and I quoted them (some at length...with their permission) in my post. 

It is much too long to share here, but basically I feel we have to make our elected officials accountable - and not just by crying "no". We need to force them to hear us - get involved w/policy and creating this new platform. Of course Obama won't accomplish everything he said he'd like to, but we can collectively. My favorite line today was from Tim Wise's blog this morning. He said, " Let Obama follow, while the people lead". 

I'm also w/Rita. Let's get a list going, and one by one, let's attack it - in all the locations from which we write, for all the people who, for the first time, have been empowered to act. We can't waste it. 

Notions of Identity

As far as I know the jounior league does not have a simular program in my area.  My old congrgation did a simular program in Baltimore.  We partnered with the Jounior league and other churches inorder to run it and would use the other sites to send people to if they did not find what they wanted with us.  I am starting my "to do" list for this program today.  I hope to develop the same sort of 'network' we had before.

Michelle

I blog at http://www.mommycan.blogspot.com/

1. Serve on sex ed committee of NYC Planned Parenthood Activist Council to continue the fight for comprehensive sex ed that prepares kids for life as sexually responsible human beings.

2. Continue to volunteer and contribute toward organizations that support legal abortion and remove access barriers, particularly for rural and low income women.

3. Provide pro bono work to child care centers with facilities issues.

4. Writing about social justice issues that are important to me.

What I hope that I will also be doing is working at a nonprofit organization working to resolve the foreclosure crisis in NYC that is destroying stable neighborhoods.

Suzanne Reisman, Contributing Editor - Feminism & Gender
Campaign for Unshaved Snatch (CUSS) & Other Rants

There was a visible stake in the outcome. We understood no matter what the party affiliation that we had a mandate to respond. The Secretaries of State knew that they did not want to be the one in the news blamed for shoddy election practices. The voters were watching and documenting everything.

That scares the crap out of establishment politics. Certain businesses don't like it either. However, I am a working person with responsibilities. Some people are up to their necks with parenting, jobs and other commitments.

I think each of us can take a very small piece of political vigilance. If you are a fiscal Republican, Independent or Libertarian then damn sure you need to watch the spending activities of Congress, your school district or actions by your local city council.

Point out the pork. Show where there is waste. You might not believe this but Democrats don't like wasteful spending either. They will be watching as well. Find others who support your view, use social networking tools and then engage the process.

Obama is not Mr. Fix-It. He can't be, not for all the different problems we have to clean up. I understood when I voted. There is no instant miracle cure just by voting for a President. But we could take what we have learned from this process and apply it local.

Gena - Out On The Stoop

Lisa - Here's a citizen lobbying kit.

 http://www.conservativeusa.org/lobbykit.htm

 Support lobbying reform. Read why it's important here:

 http://www.citizen.org/pressroom/release.cfm?ID=2347 

Suzanne, the Farmer's Wife