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Fergus Falls will embrace Obama
Area voted Republican but will follow McCain’s lead in supporting new president
Published Thursday, November 6, 2008
Otter Tail County voters awoke Wednesday with mixed feelings on the outcome of the 2008 presidential race.
Schultz
Part of Barack Obama’s support came from first-time voters like Tristina Schultz, 21, who said she was pleasantly surprised by Obama’s win. Health care was just one of the issues on many young voters’ minds going into the election, she said.
“A lot of people have friends in Iraq and wanted to see them home,” she said.
Boedecker
Megan Boeddeker, 18, said she’s inspired by Tuesday’s outcome, which she feels is proof that people are ready to take the country in a new direction.
“It definitely shows that our country is ready to make a change,” she said.
Michael Loreno was encouraged by the number of people who went to the polls, which could be the highest since 1968, according to The Wall Street Journal.
“I’m always happy when I see a high voter turnout,” Loreno said. “People shouldn’t leave the running of the country to someone else.”
Jacobs
Fred Jacobs of Fergus Falls said he’s voted Republican most of his life, but felt “confident (Obama) would make some changes and that he knew what he was doing.”
“I also feel he has enough knowledge of what’s going on in the world,” Jacobs said.
Not everyone was as excited about Tuesday’s results. Dick Abramson called Obama’s win an emotional response to President Bush’s poor governance. A Fergus Falls resident, Abramson said he’s not a supporter of either party, but doesn’t like the idea of a Democratic president and Congress.
“I’m a little worried about the implications of a one-party government,” he said
Although McCain supporters didn’t show their support for Obama at the polls, many now say they’ll follow McCain’s lead in supporting the country’s new leader.
Denzel
“We (my daughter and I) both agree we have to support him because he is our president,” said Lisa Denzel.
Denzel hopes the divide among those who favored the two candidates can be broken down, leading to a more truly united America.
She’s not the only one. Dale Haberer, a student at MSCTC and first-time voter, said Obama wasn’t his first choice, but he appreciates the historic significance of the outcome.
“I respect Obama for winning and for being the first African American president,” he said.
His feelings, in part, had to do with McCain’s speech Tuesday night.
“I totally respect McCain’s speech,” Haberer said. “It gave a good image of the Republican party and of respecting Obama’s win.”
Comments
The Daily Journal is happy to host community conversations about news and life in Fergus Falls and the surrounding area. As hosts, we expect guests will show respect for each other. That means we don't threaten or defame each other, and we keep conversations free of personal attacks. Witty is great. Abusive is not. If you think a post violates these standards, don't escalate the situation. Instead, flag the comment to alert us. We'll take action if necessary. It's not hard. This should be a place where people want to read and contribute -- a place for spirited exchanges of opinion. So those who persist with racist, defamatory or abusive postings risk losing the privilege to post at all.Posted by positivelyperham (anonymous) on November 6, 2008 at 12:19 p.m. (Suggest removal)
i didnt vote for the man, but i wish him luck on getting us out of this mess that was created by greed on both sides of the political isle. i will say, i have never heard so many racial remarks as i have heard the last week or so. i never realized this area had so much bigotry. not just the oh crap a black man won, it is some nasty vial hate filled stuff that would make a kkk member proud. who cares what color he is, just fix this crap.
Posted by mgdbottled (anonymous) on November 6, 2008 at 12:49 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I remember the pride I felt when John F. Kennedy was elected President. I was eleven years old at the time. I feel that same pride today. America always does the right thing, eventually. Sometimes it takes awhile. But, in the end it always does the right thing. President Barack Obama doesn't owe anything to anyone. He'll be a refreshing change in Washington and to the rest of the world. A new electric grid and windmill farms from North Dakota through Texas and highway infrastructure should be a high priority. Revamping the healthcare payor system should be the second priority. Ending that stupid war in Iraq, a third priority. I see he's already gonna change the federal government fleet of vehicles to plug-in hybrids. Good first start.
Posted by akmscott (anonymous) on November 6, 2008 at 1:26 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Embrace him four years from now!
Posted by FFWoman (anonymous) on November 6, 2008 at 2:45 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Was anybody else disappointed in the headline on the paper version of the Daily Journal yesterday announcing Obama won but OTC voted McCain?
I was looking for some sort of newspaper front page I could save with a headline similar to the Fargo Forum or other larger newspapers. This was a historical election and it seemed that because the majority of voters were Republican, it was treated rather lightly. Now I'm sorry I didn't purchase an out of town paper--sometimes staying local doesn't pay off.
Posted by Mr_linchon (anonymous) on November 6, 2008 at 3:45 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Obama has said he would strengthen the nation’s bridges and dams ($6 billion a year), help make men better fathers ($50 million a year) and aid Iraqis displaced by the war ($2 billion in one-time spending). Last week, he pledged to give religious and community groups $500 million a year to provide summer education to low-income children.
Posted by Mr_linchon (anonymous) on November 6, 2008 at 3:46 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Other proposals are more costly. Obama wants to extend health insurance to more people (part of a $65-billion-a-year health plan), develop cleaner energy sources ($15 billion a year), curb home foreclosures ($10 billion in one-time spending) and add $18 billion a year to education spending.
Posted by Mr_linchon (anonymous) on November 6, 2008 at 3:47 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Obama has not given a clear date by which the Iraq war might end. On Thursday, he said he remained committed to withdrawing combat troops in 16 months. At a debate in September, he would not commit to pulling all U.S. troops out of Iraq by 2013.
Some budget experts say even a speedy end to the war would not give Obama much money for new programs.
Posted by Mr_linchon (anonymous) on November 6, 2008 at 3:49 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Obama has not identified new revenue sources or spending cuts to pay for some of what he wants to do.
His $10-billion fund to reduce home foreclosures, for example, is part of a $50-billion plan to stimulate the economy through increased government spending. Paying for the program through spending cuts would defeat the point of the stimulus, the campaign says.
Also complicating his plans, Obama would inherit a budget deficit projected at more than $400 billion. Another burden is the rising cost of Medicare and other entitlement programs. In this environment, new programs may prove unaffordable.
Posted by Mr_Lincoln (anonymous) on November 6, 2008 at 6:58 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Some experts expect the worst consumer recession since 1980 to occur when ageing boomers start retiring, adding to rising unemployment, decline in house values, and declining stock prices. However other experts have suggested that immigration to the US and rise of emerging economies will offset the demographic impact.
Posted by watermelon (anonymous) on November 6, 2008 at 7:03 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Mr_linchon, for the sake of us all, please stop huffing krylon in plastic baggies and go back to your palatial estate beneath the railroad bridge.
Every one of your posts have been cut and pasted from other blogs.
Posted by newfergite (anonymous) on November 7, 2008 at 7:27 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Hear hear watermelon! mr_lincoln is neither original nor correct but he/she? is prolifically boring.
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