Election Results

The vote is in, and change is coming in several ways. The country's voters decided to change from a Republican president to a Democratic president. The most cited reason was the economy. That's not a surprise. When you start taking money out of voters pockets, they're ready for a change. In my job now, I talk to a lot of "salt of the Earth" people, and they're hurting. They're ready for a change. A change for the better. Rightly or wrongly, they blame the Republican party for their economic woes. Many did not support the economic bailout, which cost 700 billion of their dollars, only to see some of those executives who caused the mess, partying from the spoils days later. Many blamed the Republican party for the high price of fuel, which wound up driving up the costs of so many items besides gas. I don't think as many voters were against John McCain, as were simply against the Republican party. The majority of voters wanted to give the Democratic party, and Barak Obama a chance to turn things around. Although there are a few exceptions, in the course of history, the US economy has historically done better under Democratic administrations than Republican, believe it or not.

On a sad note, I heard from some voters who voted for McCain, not because they supported his policies, but simply because of Obama's race, or because of the false accusations contained in anti-Obama chain e-mails. Sadly, there are still some racists in America and sadly, there are those who know that their fear is a big motivator, especially among the ignorant. To Obama's credit, he overcame the hate campaign, and if he's voted out in 4 years, it'll be because he didn't get the job done, not because of his race. The stakes were and are too high to allow that to become a factor. I can understand why his election is a source of pride for African Americans, but I didn't notice a lot of bravado, just quiet pride, and hope. Hope that Obama can deliver. To my mind, he can't be worse than some of the white presidents we've had over the years, but I can understand the aprehension. Whether you or I voted for him, he's OUR president now. Let's give him his due respect and work with him to help work through America's current situation.

Another incumbent lost his election for a much higher paying post! Tennessee football coach Phil Fulmer was ousted after 17 years and ONLY 1 National Championship. I like Fulmer, but I thought the Vols needed a change. There's a chance the program could get worse, but of course, a chance it could get better. It's ironic in the sense that his ouster is not unlike that of his predecessor, Johnny Majors. There were those who hated Vols Assistant Coach Fulmer at the time, because they thought he had stabbed Majors in the back. Needless to say, with a 6 million dollar buyout, Fulmer is richer for the experience. Coaching at this level can be a very tough, but enriching job. All you have to do to stay at that level is to get 22 twenty-year-old boys to do exactly what they're supposed to do, all at the same time, and win very single game. I guess when you look at it in that regard, they earn every penny!

Who's the next Vols coach? Mentioned so far are former Oakland Raiders coach Layne Kiffin, current Tampa Bay Buccaneers coach John Gruden and Texas Tech coach Mike Leach, among others. Gruden is a former UT Grad Assistant, who met and married his wife, a UT alum, while in Knoxville. Those who know him, say "no way." He's addicted to the NFL. Texas Tech promises to negotiate an extension for Leach at the end of the season. Also, his style, while exciting, doesn't lend itself to winning a national championship. Kiffin is interesting though. He did as good as he was ALLOWED to do with Al Davis. He has the pedigree, as the son of Monte Kiffin, and as the recruiting coordinator at Southern Cal, he convinced USC Coach Pete Carroll to recruit nationwide and served as his recruiting coordinator. One thing for sure, if whoever they hire at UT doesn't get the job done, they'll be voted out in LESS than 4 years. There's more leeway for President of the United States, than there is for Tennessee football coach!