OBAMA! YES!

Thank you Lloyd George and Aneurin Bevan - who gave us the Welfare State and the NHS. (It will not have escaped your notice that neither of them were from the "greatest nation on earth")

We overslept so didn't hear the news until 8am. It'd DH's fishing day and he likes to be up at 7.30 so it was like a madhouse here. He doesn't do 'rushing about' - it's like getting a teenager off to school

I'm going to celebrate by taking myself off to the local garden centre for some R&R. I'm supposed to be decorating but I twisted my ankle yesterday so if I've got to hobble I might as well do it somewhere pleasant.

Very good news. Well done, America.

What a relief! Sanity rules in the USA after all. I turned the radio on at 6am and he was making his victory speech. After which I turned over and went back to sleep.

Good stuff! A friend just posted on Facebook that she could stop building her nuclear shelter.

There was a live debate from the USA on Radio 4 a few weeks ago with some people discussing why it wasn't fair that they should have to subsidise someone else's health care.

The idea that all persons in USA have similar chances in lives, shows a total lack of understanding of the effects of privilege and disadvantage in their society.

Thank goodness! I read that 70% of those of us who vote here would have voted for Obama if we were US residents.

Great job! I'm relieved to know we don't have a war-monger in the White House for a few more years

I stayed up to watch it, such a relief!

Good question greatnan

Collective sigh of relief this side of the pond

Very, very glad about that. And like nanadog - I first heard the news on Gransnet!

Got up at 5.30 (4.30 GMT) as I had woken and couldn't get back to sleep and then remembered about the election. Phew indeed.

Let us now pray/wish for some sort of consensus in economic politics for the USA.

I wonder if the Republicans could have won if they had chosen a less extreme candidate - or perhaps they don't have any less extreme members!
Another thought that occurred to me was that Obama may have actually benefited by the recession, as the 'newly poor', having lost their jobs, might be worried about being able to afford health insurance. What kind of people are these so called good Christians on the American right, who don't think it matters that many people in what used to be the richest country in the world cannot afford treatment when they are ill?

Thank goodness for that. And. I first heard the good news on GN

Phew and breath again.

I also felt relief when I saw that headline this morning...

Oh what fantastic news to wake up to!

Endorse all that. Just had an email from a dear American friend. She said it took some people 45 minutes to vote as they have to vote for all sorts of matters as well, such as park improvements, sewer systems and so on and many had not previously read all the referendum questions.

Now I know why I wasn't sleeping well. Phew indeed. Huge relief. Rich white men take note.
I was thinking yesterday evening about my friend's adopted daughter. She lives in Washington State. Her brain was badly damaged before birth - her birth mother was abusing drugs. She is a loveable young woman but incredibly vulnerable with very limited reasoning powers. She will need someone to watch over her, all her life. She has been suffering from psychiatric illness recently as well and only had treatment due to the tenacity and determination of her dad who is nearly 70. Now she is over 18 she has no health insurance and her parents are not wealthy. She voted in her first presidential election this week. For Obama.
Under Romney, the state would let this fragile young woman fall into the abyss. So this one is for you, Emma.

I woke at 5 a.m. and as my TV is out of action because of the snow I had to get BBC news on my computer - wow, what a relief for the poor, black, gay, disabled, or old in the USA.
He will still have a tough time though, with the Republicans blocking much of what he tries to do.

Big Bird says the election cost $6 billion. Gross.

I was worried for a minute, this morning (in Oz) they were saying it was close. Now I can agree, phew!!!