Only In America

"Patriotism is your conviction that this country is superior to all other countries because you were born in it."
George Bernard Shaw

So the election is over and apparently history has been made.

As with all elections, after months of the media dissecting the campaigns and lives of the candidates, we are now subjected to the post mortem and the speculation about the future. This time though we have an added feature on the news/punditry/talk show scene. This time, everyone, regardless of party, predictions, or political persuasion is falling all over themselves to gush with patriotic pride that America elected a black man or an African American. (Amusing, given that if one subscribes to the definition of "African American" that includes descent from slaves, Obama is neither "black" nor "African American").

Apparently it matters not that:

1. George Bush is about the most unpopular President in history and whichever Republican followed him had an almost insurmountable barrier to overcome.

2. America is in the early stages of the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression and a bad economy is almost always the death knell for the incumbent party's candidate.

3.McCain's running mate was, rightly or wrongly, perceived as a mindless and even dangerous twit.

4. The vast majority of Americans are sick to death of Iraq and while Obama declared his intent to get the troops out (Big Lie #1), McCain talked in terms of a 100 year occupation.

5. Nary a negative word about Obama was heard from the putatively neutral media throughout either the primaries or the election campaign.

6. Obama spent more than twice as much as McCain

7. Obama's campaign was a well-oiled, cyber-age, savvy machine while McCain's was a slapdash, scattered and amateur embarassment.

8. Where McCain's public speaking was stiff and contrived, Obama showed himself to be the country's greatest orator since at least Reagan.

9. Despite all of the above and more, McCain garnered 45 million votes.

None of that matters. What matters is that the fundamental decency and wisdom of America shone through, once again a beacon for all of us unfortunates who were born elsewhere.

The mantra of the moment is, in one form or other:

"Only in America could we see something like this happen."

Yuck!

Only in America? Gimme a break. It could not happen in Canada, Britain, Australia, or scores of other countries where it did not take over 100 years and a bloody struggle for blacks to get something resembling civil rights?

As a Canadian, I am insulted when I hear this self serving claptrap.