"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 alive in our time, who still questions the power of our democracy, tonight is your answer."Yesterday was a historic night for this country, and everyone can agree on that. Whether you voted Republican, Democratic, or did not even vote, we will all think of November 4th, 2008 as a pivotal day in our nation's continually unfolding story. The power and history of the evening will be written about in history books and discussed at length until inauguration day, the next step in this incredible journey of Obama's. While this incredible landslide victory by Barack Obama does not mean the end of racial issues in this country, it is a major step showing how far our country has come. There has been prejudice since the founding of Jamestown 400 years ago- and there is clearly still some today, as shown by some of the awful things said during GOP rallies, and even by some supporters who decide to vote for him, but describe him to canvassers and volunteers using racial slurs. Yet, today, only 43 years since the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which, 100 years after the Civil War, truly enfranchised all Americans, we have finally elected someone of minority background to the presidency. This election shows that Americans were able to, for the most part, look past race when voting. Though we all are still cognizant of race, in general, people picked the candidate they thought would be the best for our country at this time. This election just shows the steps that this country has taken, only 4 decades removed from George Wallace running for the presidency (speaking of George Wallace, there's an interesting article on CNN written by his daughter)
What started for me on a weekend morning two Feburarys watching Obama announce his candidacy for President on CNN ended last night with celebration. In-between those days, I voted twice (Feb 5 primary and General Election), worked for the campaign in three different states (IN, MT, NH), went to three different rallies, donated to the cause, made thousands of contacts with complete strangers, and shook Obama's hand once, last February in Hartford. It was truly a roller coaster ride through the end- one that I'm truly glad ended, and even more ecstatic that it ended so positively. I can definetly say that volunteering for the campaign, both in the primary and this fall, changed my life both in my perception of service, and my understanding of America. We truly live in a nation in which WE, not just a few, get the chance to, as Obama said, referencing Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. "put [our] hands on the arc of history and bend it once more toward the hope of a better day." The victory last night had a lot to do with now President-Elect Obama's skill as a politician and as a unifier, but was more the result of the work and contribution of millions of average Americans.
Last night, after both candidates gave their speeches, the atmosphere here on campus was incredible. Students gathered in the streets by the hundreds, chanting "Yes we can!" and "Obama!", along with singing the National Anthem, while hugging and high fiveing fellow supporters and friends. It was a raucous and jubulant celebration, however, It is unfortunate to see that out of the hundreds celebrating, at most 150 actually went up to New Hampshire to work for his General Election campaign. While this apathy is what has generally been expected of us, the youngest voting age generation, it is still annoying considering that we could have done even better, maybe even have picked up those senate seats in Alaska or Minnesota, had people just gone and made 20 minutes worth of phone calls.
While many who were celebrating last night must have felt it was the end, they were wrong- it was only the beginning. President Obama will take office in a little over two months, and that is when the real work begins. We are facing an economy in crisis, two wars overseas, an energy crisis, and potentially catastrophic global warming. If young people do not stay as involved or informed as they have generally been over the past several months, President Obama will face an uphill battle from his inauguration onward. We, as citizens and the future leaders of this country need to put as much stake in Obama's presidency as we did in his candidacy. Though he seems like he could be Superman, really he can not do it on his own. He needs the input and hard work of every American to help us solve the problems that all of us face. If we do not get started now, things will only get worse, and we will have to deal with it later. If there is one thing that would crush my belief that "Yes We Can", would be to find all of my peers suddenly apathetic, willing to celebrate the chance to make change, yet not actually be a part of that change themselves. We will all need to be on-board to alter the direction our country is heading in; Barack can only steer the ship if we give him our full effort and backing.
What really summed up my night was a text message I received from the campaigns automated text system. It read "We Just made history. All of this happened because you gave your time, talent and passion to this campaign. All of this happened because of you. Thanks, Barack" I got this text right after he finished speaking to the world as the newly elected President of the United States, and I actually started to get teary eyed (third time of the night- first was when the networks called the election, second was when he walked on-stage with Michelle, Sasha, and Malia). It was such a hard fought contest that I have cared about for so long, that even that automated thank you was enough for me. Now, I can't wait for the day when we all can somehow express our gratitude to President Obama, for being an inspirational leader that has unified the country, and for being (knock on wood) an excellent president, one that will change this country and solve the current problems we face.
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