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A New Hope
written by: SAH
Like many Americans, as well as a great number of people from around the world, the election of Barack Obama has left me happy, relieved and filled with optimism. I have not slept as easily as I did on election night in a great number of years. I truly believe he was the right choice for president and may prove to be better for the job than anyone has yet been in my lifetime.
Though his victory was indisputable, it was far from unanimous. A large and significant percentage of Americans felt that McCain was the better man for the job. I personally heard a handful or reasons given: fear of higher taxes, fear of his inexperience, fear of his foreign policy and attitudes toward war, fear of “socialism” and, the flat out dislike of that prospect that a “colored” would lead the country. I could argue against all of these, but I won’t. I think time will prove these fear unfounded.
Also, while I cannot understand these points of view, or why these fears are able to take hold on so great a number of people, I have to admit a certain a twinge of empathy. Why? Because I have been hearing McCain supports express the same level of fear and hopelessness as I felt when Bush was elected. There is a certainty that comes with this feeling that fuels a feeling a dread, of impending doom. It crushes the spirit. It makes everything about life harder to do. And as much as I was right about Bush and as much as I feel they are wrong about Obama, the empathy is hard to shake.
But, I have hope for both sides. Why? Because I believe that with time, Obama will prove to be the uniter Bush failed to be. Because I believe Obama will approach the national and international stage with the same level of commitment he showed smaller groups as a “community organizer.” Because I believe the mere act of electing him has already redeemed the United States, even if only a little, in the eyes of the world, and that redemption is worth a lot. He instills confidence in a way that Bush never did and McCain could never have. He did more to govern correctly in his victory speech than anything we’ve seen from Bush in eight long years.
I will, however, admit that we’ll have to wait and see. My optimism is cautious. The change he promised is going to require patience. And, like all campaign promises, some things are going to prove out of reach or need to be sacrificed for other thing. In addition, patience, as we all know, is not a defining characteristic of the American people. Perhaps Obama can help re-instill this virtue. He will need to act quickly on some things. He needs to maintain the momentum of his campaign for election for the entire length of his presidency. But I think he has the personality for it, the conviction.
There is one thing bound to serve him well. He seems to have the capability to do something very important for a man in his position: listen and think. I believe he will weight his decisions and actions carefully. I believe he will consider the concerns of his opponents with sincerity rather than dismissive or flippancy. I hope he spends time trying to win over his opposition. I hope that it happens naturally, without being forced. I hope he tries to govern to the center and then nudges everyone slightly to the left. I hope he does not let Congress take too great advantage of the position they no find themselves in. There is a sound place for decent in our nation’s politics. And while my own beliefs are in the need for radical change across the board, I’m hoping he proves savvier than I would be.
There is a huge burden on his presidency. He needs to fix a collapsing economy. He needs to end wars while maintaining our safety. He needs to restore faith in America on the world stage. He needs to lead us to reform on health care, education, energy and environmental responsibility. That is a lot to heap on the shoulders of one man. I hope he is not crushed by these burdens or by those who would oppose the change we all need — even if we are not all in agreement that we need it.
If think if he can live up to even half of the hype he’s been able to generate for himself, he’ll end up being one of the greatest presidents in the nation’s history.
Hope goes a long way. Faith fuels a lot of things that would otherwise seem impossible. I hope he’s able to harness both and propel the country forward; return America to a position of leadership in the world that is viewed with respect rather than fear.
Lastly, I hope — I sincerely do — that those who fear him now come to be comfortable with him. I hope they are able to find peace or common ground, even if they disagree with him on some issues. (He would do well to come through on his tax policies, leave guns alone, and leave marriage to the states.) I don’t think anyone deserves to live with the amount of disillusion and fear that Bush created for his opponents.
So, I am temporarily at peace, politically. I have hope for the future, despite the current state of affairs. I believe other do to and that those who don’t now, will in time.
Good luck Barack Obama, we all need you to be the man we think you are and the president we hope you can be.
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