A Ringing Shot Ignites the Obama Movement
THEY SAID THIS DAY WOULD NEVER COME www.barackobama.com
In the wake ot the Benazir Bhuuto assasination in Pakistan a few days ago, Democratic voters in Iowa made a statement for liberal democracy on the global stage by electing Barack Obama, a half-Kenyan American born in Hawaii, for President of the United States. Obama's unprecedented Iowa victory was a loud shot ringing for all the world to hear, which caused white Washington veterans Dodd and Biden to drop out of the race (I am pissed about Biden, who was my first choice). Obama's hope has reverberated in undetected echoes unheard since April 4, 1961 (?) in Memphis, when MLK was shot.
The resounding, rippling message is that Americans (white Americans in Iowa) believe a black President Obama is more electable than any other candidate. My grandfathers' generation, whose central struggle was fought in World War II, would not believe a black man could pull that off. No way. Well, believe it. After travelling through New Hampshire for a week before the primary, I have learned a lot about exactly HOW this leader has started a movement despite all obstacles. I hope you like. Shenkui.
This mini-revolution gave his campaign exactly the right turbo fuel it needed, and made a huge statement against the imperial march of the Clinton machine. New Hampshire ended up being Empire Stikes Back, but surely the upcoming primary battles in South Carolina and Michigan will mark the Return of the Jedi. His political masterstroke is that he plays on people's hope instead of their fear, and in this political environment, no prescription for what ails America: real hope in our leaders. Remember leadership?
The shot fired of the Iowa caucus was a starting pistol to America's greatest race, and it echoes like thunder throughout the Granite State even though he lost. Obama is still and positioned for a daft and sweeping blow through the coming contests. But still, the annoying, conservative question lingers: is the nation ready to elect a brown person, regardless of how amazing he is? In response to this prejudice, Obama simply frames himself as a confident, natural winner, and persuades people to acknowledge that. He forces voters to search their feelings and not be betrayed by fearful thoughts that he could lose - this means voting on faith, not fear. After all, The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.
Obama's recurring themes are unity, change and hope. In his speeches, will use these three themes again and again, not only because they are ingenious tactics in this delapidated political environment in which so many have lost hope, but also because HE IS AUTHENTIC about them. Obama sells himself as the embodiment of real hope manifest. Go ahead and try arguing against the fact of hope.
There is no one better suited to lead this great country away from the quagmire we are in as a result of voting on fear politics. We have chosen our leaders who ran on platforms of fear, playing on homophobia and terrorism, and we ought to have a look at swinging the pendulum in faith's favor this time around. We all (almost all) are united in our admission of the dark reality that for eight years, we were hostages on Bush's wild destructive ride. Doesn't anyone have faith in the American Dream anymore?
His inspirational MLK style of oration in public debate reminds me of true, righteous leadership. That by itself is enough to revive our country in the image of the glory days of FDR after the Great Depression. We need a man behind the curtain inspiring us, leading us, and no other candidate besides Obama has elocuted our nations deep need for hope as effectively thus far. Not even close. Think of the him as leader of the free world, and ask yourself if any other candidate even comes close.
Just get on the bandwagon with clearly the best candidate, and stop trifling. How good of a role model would he be for blacks and whites, and everyone in the world? Could anyone else unite the nation (and world) in that way, by example? So, when hiring a president in 2008, we should be united in the revival of authentic, spirited, even soulful public leadership and speech.
Who else offers that? An old white guy who is stuck in religious demagoguery and status quo of the Christian right? A President Huckabee would steer us off course like Oddyseus chasing the sirens. We'd end up on the rocks with the boat in the drink. With Obama, however, we'd end up on the boat with a drink on the rocks.
Hillary, you ask (almost comedically)? An opportunistic power hungry woman with an unfunded mandate for unrealistic healthcare reform who would divide the country like nothing ever seen before? Enough said.
A Mormon CEO? Romney sounds like Bush all over again, but he is slicker, more sly about it. And don't Mormons believe in aliens?
Match Obama against any generic candidate, either Republican or Democrat, and you will see the difference goes much deeper than skin color. This is the final frontier in easing racial relations, and the best choice left in the field. His message is inspirational. Can you remember real American leadership? Heros? Faith in government? Real citizenship? And beyond that, he will lead us out of this quagmire of dissent.
