I have fundamental differences with Barack Obama's platform yet at 11pm Tuesday night I had goosebumps as they announced he was projected as the 44th President of the United States. There has been much hyperbolic gushing about the significance of the event and maybe I'm just adding to it.
As a white man, I can only surmise what African-Americans are feeling. I shed no tears like those girls at Spellman College, but I do feel like we are turning the page on the last eight years. I thought of my black friends and acquaintances Tuesday night; were they weeping with joy, calling their friends to rejoice together or just taking a moment to let it soak in? Maybe all of the above. Electing a man of color to our highest office becomes a symbol of how far America has come and also of how far it can go. It continues to heal a divide hundreds of years in the making.
Obama has been derided for running mainly on ideas - hope and change. Yet, isn't that what presidents really are, symbols reflecting where the country is or what we want it to become? Personally, I was relieved that the politics of fear and smear did not derail this historic ride.
It will be interesting to watch Barack Obama from here. As rhetoric fades toward reality expectations can become burdens. I was glad to hear, even as the crowd in Grant Park chanted 'Yes we did.', that Obama continued with his familiar refrain of 'Yes we can.' He has already accomplished much, but the challenge has just begun. When you have offered to carry the hope of an entire nation you'd better have strong shoulders. I hope he, and by extension America, is up for the task.
5 comments:
You know, I really failed to realize the significance of the election of "the first African-American president" too until he was giving his speech Tuesday night. Everyone was so caught up in the campaigning that I forgot about--whoa, a black president! Whodathunkit? It really is a big deal. His speech really was great and I was most impressed by the fact that he wasn't grandstanding and pointing to his supporters in the crowd, there was no "booing" of John McCain (as there was booing in Phoenix), he was genuinely complimentary of McCain, and the message was "yes WE can". It was very inspiring.
I thought the speech was great, but it really didn't hit home for me until I heard some of the black commentators talking. Then on Wednesday former georgetown coach John Thompson opened the phones for the entire two hours of his radio show. the outpouring of emotion from him and his guests was very touching.
Goose bumps! You and Chris Matthews have something in common. I got chills as I saw the old Soviet flag being waved around as people chanted "yes we did." But I guess Mr. I hate Cal Ripken Jr., Keith Oberman didn't report that. Yes Keith, I will never forget or forgive your personal attacks on Rip back when he broke the record. Once you get around the race issue the fact still remains, nobody knows who this guy is. Already he is backtracking on his campaign promises. Not a suprise. Every president elect does. But besides being the 1st black president, who is he? As Russia points missles towards Western Europe and the Gaza Strip explodes in violence again...who is Mr. Obama? It is like opening the Christmas present. What is it? The toy you always wanted or the underwear you could care less about?
I never put much thought into the black issue either, I mean he is just as "white" if not more so than he is black. By that I mean of course that he is mixed and was raised in a mostly "white" world. It made me think of some of the old black people I've known and what it must mean to them. I thought of my Grandma, who is going to be 91 soon and all the things she's seen in her lifetime.
I never really thought of the race thing until those guys got caught dreaming up the assassination plot. Call me naive, but it's hard to believe that that sort of hatred still exists here.
I thought that his speach was kind of a snoozer. Not as grand as I thought it would be. I was glad to see that he kept it a bit on the humble/subdued side.
I was also impressed with McCains speach. That seemed to come from him, not like all the other jive he was spouting all campain long. I thought that he bowed out very graciously, unlike his crowd.
I think, like any other president elect, Obama must be given the chance to prove "who he is". We know John McCain as a senator, but that doesn't mean we know how he would be as president. I'm alright with taking my chances with Obama. Maybe in three months when Rev Wright is Sec. of State, Jesse Jackson is UN ambassador, Sec of Ed Oprah closes all public schools to open her girls schools and Mr. T is sec. of defense I'll be proven wrong. But until that happens, let's give the man a chance.
Post a Comment