One Day After Election Day 2008

I have not really read any post-Election opinions written by my friends because I'm trying to keep my thoughts my thoughts and use my own words to get them out. That said, I feel like all the sentiments about which I plan to lament upon have already been lamented upon by many people so I apologize for any repetition.

Last night, I became a proud American. I'm not sure I've ever said that before. Sure, I was happy during the Clinton years, but I was probably too young to really feel proud and have that feeling be based in anything substantial. Last night, America voted for a man who has true potential to turn the course of this country around and bring respect back to us in the eyes of the world.

As all my friends and I happily basked in the news and held on to every word of both John McCain's concession and Barack Obama's victory speeches, I could almost hear the world breath a sigh of relief. The darkness of the last eight years may really be over. We have a chance now. We've reached the fork in the road. We can make this better before it's too late, but it has to be now. Americans proved last night that that IS what they want.

Barack Obama is the face of America in the 21st century. He comes from a mixed racial background, middle class, raised by his mother and then grandparents, worked his way up. He was not born into prominence. He did not get to where he finds himself today because of his background, but because of his work ethic. He can be seen, in many ways, as the embodiment of the American dream, a dream that is - mostly - mythical, but can still be found in the greatest and most determined of citizens and I think we will see more American dreams coming true with Barack Obama as our leader. I'm not sure how the McCain campaign became the face of "real" America, but Barack Obama lived that: he lived the middle class life and became an example of what "real" Americans can achieve. He proved that you really can work your way up, but you have to want it and you have to try. He proved that America gives you opportunities few other countries can afford and that those who have benefited most from America should give the most back: in his case, running for the highest office with hopes of making America - and the world - better. (All he's asking the rest of you to do is pay a few more taxes so we can, yanno, have roads and schools and fire departments: silly stuff like that!)

He proved that America really can change and that sentiment was obvious in the tears of Jesse Jackson, Oprah, and every other Barack Obama supporter brought to tears last night. Working the polls yesterday, a new excitement was tough to deny.

His victory does not necessarily mean that we can stop worrying. Obama is still a politician and politicians break promises, but his message throughout the campaign resonated from coast to coast in all kinds of people. During the campaign, he managed to change the mind set in America from one that would stickily vote for old white guys to one that would vote for a young minority if he stood for what they stood for. Thankfully, what we stand for in the aftermath of this election are the ideals of hope, change, cooperation, and unity.

Notably, Barack Obama's victory speech was a serious one. He didn't give us the usual "USA USA WE'RE NUMBER ONE WE'RE NUMBER ONE!" speech. He didn't pound his chest or dance on McCain's (hypothetical) grave. He told us truths. While he'd never say it, he knows Americans can often be selfish and individualistic and that this country needs cooperation and selflessness to survive. This wasn't a "we can stop fighting now: the battle's over" speech. This was a "the battle's just beginning" speech. President Obama can't fix the world, but - hopefully - he can convince the world into fixing itself using sound plans and peaceful negotiations. The work behind us pales in comparison to the work ahead of us and I don't think Americans like to think of themselves as people on whom work is needed, but we are. We have to reach out to our neighbors and help those who are down of their luck. We can't just think of ourselves anymore, but of our communities and of the world and we have to recognize that we don't live in our own little bubbles.

Are Americans up for that?

Obama has set high expectations for himself among his supporters and I don't expect him to live up to every single one of them, but I do expect him to run this country efficiently and intelligently with eloquence and grace. I expect the agenda of 'making America strong again' to be the only agenda, not the agenda in addition to his super-secret hidden agenda. I am forever skeptical, but I have hope and I know that Barack Obama - right now - is the man we need, even if just to prove that the ideals for which he claims to stand are ideals Americans, too, share.

As of 11pm on November 4th, 2008, America elected a new president. He will face the greatest challenges of any new president in cleaning up the last eight years, but he is young and smart and - if anyone can do it - it is he.





**EDIT** And just when I become proud of my country, it disappoints me again: http://news.aol.com/elections/article/ballot-initiatives/237398. More to come, I'm sure.