LAKE COUNTY — Reaction to President-elect Barack Obama”s landslide victory Election Day to succeed President George W. Bush as the nation”s 44th president was mixed in Lake County on Wednesday.
Republican and Democrat leaders in Lake County disagreed along party lines, with one side claiming Obama”s philosophies amount to socialism and the other saying the country”s citizenry needs to rally around him. For Lower Lake resident Joyce Folds, Obama”s election carries a deeper cultural significance.
“Last night for the first time, I felt that America didn”t see color. He was judged, as Martin Luther King said, by his character and not by the color of his skin. I didn”t think that would happen in my lifetime. It was overwhelming. Being black, you take for granted that some things won”t happen. Now I tell my grandchildren, ?You can be anything you want to be,” and that”s the truth,” Folds said.
Folds said she was going to a Bay Area church Wednesday to pray for Obama, for his safety and for his ability to lead the country in the right direction.
Lake County Democratic Central Committee Chair Becky Curry said she was amazed at Obama”s victory, and emphasized the work ahead of him and the need for reform.
“What he”s built here from the ground up is not going to go away. There are going to have to be fundamental changes in the way people perceive government. We need to regulate at the top. Too many people are losing homes because people were greedy. We need serious, major healthcare reform in this country, and that”s not something that can be politicized. That”s something we need to do for the good of the American people,” Curry said.
Added Curry, “The first few months are going to be interesting. I think it”s going to get worse before it gets better, and he”s going to have to be very bold and not incremental. And I think the people are ready to do that.”
Republican Party of Lake County Chair Randy Ridgel was less than optimistic about Obama”s leadership, and equated his policies to socialism.
“He said he would give tax breaks to 95 percent of the people, and that”s impossible. It doesn”t add up because 95 percent of the people don”t pay income taxes. Between 35 and 40 percent of the people are in the bottom income bracket and don”t pay income tax, and the only way to give them a tax break is to take it from the people who make money and give it to them. To me, that”s socialism, or straight-out welfare,” Ridgel said.
Ridgel said Obama plans to cut military funding by 25 percent, and called the idea disastrous.
“We have two wars going now and about a zillion Muslims out there threatening to kill us. That would be an insane thing to do right now,” Ridgel said.
Contact Tiffany Revelle at trevelle@record-bee.com, or cal her directly at 263-5636 ext. 37.
