Thoughts Regarding the Election of Barack Obama to the Office of President
I will preface this with a little bit about my own ideology… or lack thereof. I am a registered independent. I truly try to look at each individual candidate, outside of his or her party affiliation, when I make the decision about for whom I will vote. I credit this practice not to some grand high minded thought process on my part. Indeed, part of it is because I tend toward the cynical. There are many times when I don’t see the difference between republicans and democrats, especially if a particular democrat or republican has been in office for a long time.
I also grew up in the south, but have moved around a lot, and my wife’s family is from Canada. This gives me a wealth of differing viewpoints with which to weight and measure political opinion. I may not agree with you all the time, I may not agree with you at all, but I promise, I will try to at least understand you.
One of the things I’ve disliked most about the last eight years is the divisiveness that I’ve seen in the American political system. I try to remind myself that this is not new - dig up some information about the presidential election of 1800 for some great old fashioned partisan bickering and namecalling. I do find candidates who use such tactics less appealing, though, and that’s a factor in how I weigh things.
That is where I am coming from now, when I write this post for you.
The thing that keeps coming to the forefront of my mind as I think about the election of Barack Obama to the office of President is the step forward I believe it indicates that we have taken as a nation socially. Perhaps we couldn’t have done that without all the bitter partisan name calling. Perhaps there are now more people out there that have heard it and eventually said “Enough.” I’m not sure. But for once, I can say that I believe the election of this President was a significant social event the likes of which I don’t believe we have seen before and will not see again until, perhaps, a woman is elected to the office.
But it’s not just the fact that we elected a person who looks different and has a different sounding name. This is significant, yes, but it’s not the only factor. The truth is, the fact that the guy came from just another family, without a lot of money and without every advantage in the world, is inspiring to me. It’s not about his race, really - it’s the socioeconomic side of it that impresses me. I know it’s a time honored parenting technique to tell one’s children, “You could grow up to be President if you wanted to do it!” There’s just been little actual evidence that was, you know, true.
I have lamented in the past to those that are unfortunate enough to have to listen to my deepest political thought processes as they are being formed that the United States was starting to have its own variations on the royal family. The Kennedys, the Bushs, the Clintons. This was a primary reason I was wary of Hillary Clinton. The idea of the presidency having Bush/Clinton/Bush/Clinton in office seemed vaguely… well, for lack of a better term, un-American. Though John Adams and John Q. Adams may disagree with me.
That’s not a reflection on those candidates, by the way. It’s a reflection of us. We are comforted by familiar names. Those names can then use that position to build and wield power, which in turn makes it easier for them to gain even more power. Look at the party machinery Hillary had built around her this year. I believe that was a product of the phenomenon on which I write.
But we didn’t do that this time. We voted for a guy without a comfortable, old political name. We didn’t vote for the older white gentleman with the distinguished military career either. We voted for a black guy who was raised by his grandparents and a single mother.
Whether you agree or disagree with his politics… this is significant. Whether you support him over the next four years or not… this is significant. Whether you are a fan of Jesse Jackson or a fan of Fox News… whether you watch Sean Hannity or Keith Olberman… whether you like pepsi or coke… this is significant.
Much like when my home state elected a different kind of guy, I find encouragement here that is entirely separate and outside political ideology and party platforms. It is not over, the politics of divisiveness and hate. It never will be. Those tactics work too well for it to ever truly disappear.
But yesterday, we truly lived up to our ‘melting pot’ hyperbole, for once. And that, above anything else right now, makes me happy, no matter what the next four years may bring.
One Response to “Thoughts Regarding the Election of Barack Obama to the Office of President”
Therese - November 6, 2008
Yeah, Gov. Jindal! That dude seems awesome, and LA’s even awesomer for getting him.
I’m waiting for the Lez Prez. It will happen one day. If history teaches us anything, it will be in exactly 2048, and I hope it’s Ellen Degeneres.
Seriously though, I truly agree with this post, and I thank you for putting that all down. We finally have a LEADER!
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