"If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible, who still wonders if the dream of our Founders is still alive in our time, who still questions the power of our democracy, tonight is your answer. Even as we celebrate tonight, we know that the challenges tomorrow will bring are the greatest of our lifetime: two wars, a planet in peril, the worst financial crisis in a century.
The road ahead will be long. Our climb will be steep. We may not get there in one year or even one term, but America, I have never been more hopeful than I am tonight that we will get there. Tonight we proved once more that the strength of our nation comes not from the might of our arms or the scale of our wealth, but from the enduring power of our ideals - democracy, liberty, opportunity, and unyielding hope."
Those are the words of a true patriot, and a true leader - the words of the 44th President of The United States of America. The question everybody is asking now is this: will Obama actually be able to solve these great challenges? Can he really make the changes he is promising? The real answer is that I dont know. Nobody knows. Barack himself doesnt know what he will be able to accomplish. The two tasks of steering the nation through an economic crisis of historic proportions, and cleaning up the mess we have made in Iraq and Afganistan, are incredibly daunting alone. Forget things like saving the planet and brokering a peace treaty between the Israelis and the Palestinians for now - if Obama does well enough to get elected to a second term, maybe he will be able to make real headway into greening America and making peace in the Middle East.
It is possible he can do it all at once - revive the economy with green jobs and start pulling troops out of the hundreds of military bases we have stationed around the world - its just not likely to happen overnight. There is so much money invested in the US military industrial complex that its impossible to erode in a few years, let alone dismantle it altogether. Moving America from an economy based on the military industrial complex and oil to an economy centered around green jobs and technology will be no small feat - it requires wholesale infrastructure changes and an entirely different philosophy of governing. Can Obama do all that? It will be extremely difficult. Talking about major policy change is one thing, actually getting the legislation passed through Congress is entirely different.
But after what I just saw tonight, is anything impossible? The significance of Obama's presidential election cannot be understated. This is the same country that 44 years ago had institutionalised segregation. Think about how powerful a message this sends to the rest of the people of the world. In America, anything is possible. In America, we can all decide we want to change how our country is governed, we can try to perfect our union. It takes time. It might take 8 years. It might take 25, 50 or another 100 years to get America right. Somebody has to step up and lead the country to change for the better. It has to start somewhere, it has to start sometime. And after witnessing the events of last night, I truly believe that time is now.
4 comments:
I'm hopeful that Obama turns out to be the man he promotes himself to be, but I wonder about his safety. I was surprised to see that they only installed bulletproof glass on the left and right sides of the stage at his talk here in Chicago. I figured he would practically be in a glass case. And with all of the references to Kennedy lately, I'm wondering just how much protection he'll need from those in this country not yet ready to accept a black president.
Honestly, now that he actually the president elect, he is going to be more safe than ever. He wont be flying commercial airlines or drving himself anywhere. Everything he eats will be prepared under close scrutiny. Everywhere he goes there will be extreme levels of security. Aside from putting him inside a bullet proof bubble and rolling him from room to room in the White House, there is only so much they can do.
And if someone did assassinate him, it would only make the movement for change in America stronger. People would be even more angry, and more politically motivated than they are now. This movement for change has gone beyond this one man, or his one party. It is a national movement, and it cannot be stopped.
That being said, he is the worst thing to happen to the Republican party in modern politics. He is their ultimate nightmare. He is a rock star, he is a unifier, he is a deal maker and he is willing to comprimise without sacrificing ideals. I think he is going to get a lot of what he wants to do done, a lot of what the American people want done, and I dont think there is anyone or anything that can stop these changes from coming.
It's a strange feeling now he's gone and won. When Dr. Who would get a new actor taking over the role they would both appear in one episode where the 'change' would take place.
A scene would have the Dr. die and regenerate into a new form, often with a very different look and personality.
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=s21zeQXxH8o
The idea that Bush invites him over for lunch to tell him how much fun he's gonna have. I wonder how many holidays Obama will take in the first year compared to Bush.
You need an UNDER NEW MANAGEMENT sign up at all the airports I think :)
Now that we have changed our executive, we must focus on congress. Pelosi and Reed should be replaced with new progressive leaders. Lieberman must be stripped of his chairs. Its time to take out our own trash and we need leaders willing to do so.
Keep you eyes on the ball. Living in a representative democracy means you always have to pay attention and harass your representatives.
Post a Comment