For as long as I can remember being interested in politics I have yearned for the political dialogue of the past, believing that oratory and exchange of ideas was no longer eloquent or inspiring in contemporary politics. I longed for the speeches of the Kennedy brothers, wishing their speech writers would magically become young again and eager to inspire. I dreamed of what it would have been like to be in the same room as Lincoln or Jefferson as they gave resounding voice to our dreams and hopes as a nation; to be in awe as FDR healed our wounds. Perhaps it is a characteristic of our generation to be jaded and cynical for I believed that modern politics consisted of nothing more than going through the motions.
When I turned on the Democratic National Convention in hopes of learning more about a candidate that I admittedly knew very little about, a candidate whom I was supporting simply because I didn't like the other guy and my candidate had already been knocked out of the running, I was wary, worried that once again we had a cookie cutter candidate. I was wrong. Never in my life have I been so inspired by my contemporaries. Never has my heart been so filled with hope and confidence. In an era where attack ads are king and violence plagues the news I heard in the voices of those speaking a glimpse of the past, a reflection of the hearts and minds of a nation. I heard passion, inspiration, hope, and most of all I heard truth. I believed what was being spoken. I believed those whom I never thought I would believe, Reverend Jesse Jackson, Senator Teddy Kennedy, Senator Barack Obama, and Michelle Obama. I wanted to grab a sign and shout at the top of my lungs that this is what our nation has been lacking; this is what politics should be! In an era where politics mostly focuses on the negative, I, for the first time as an eligible voter, felt positive about my choice for president.
I like many others watched the news, read the internet, and researched looking for every bit of new information about the presidential campaign. Where did the candidates stand on the economy, foreign policy, education, civil rights? I watched as Joe Six Pack and Joe the Plumber were introduced, thankful that my candidate wasn’t either. For me he represented so much more. He represented America, the perfect embodiment of the American dream. The son of an immigrant raised in modest means that aspired and worked hard, all the while thinking of his fellow man, someone who was intelligent and not afraid to be so. Shouldn’t we wish for an extraordinary person in the White House?
Election night friends gathered around the television to watch the coverage, coloring in our own electoral maps as the results came in over the major news stations. We’d flip from one to the next since they all were reporting at different speeds. We passed out cupcakes with our candidate’s logo in frosting and cheered out loud when the results favored Senator Obama. I knew in my heart after Pennsylvania and Ohio were called that Senator Barack Obama would become President – Elect Obama once the West Coast’s came in. We cheered and popped Champaign, hugged, and cried as we not only witnessed history in the making but participated in it.
That night I was filled with a fierce hope and pride as I listened to both Senator John McCain’s concession speech and President – Elect Obama’s acceptance speech. They reflected the spirit of America, an America that is tired of red states and blue states. For the first time in my life I felt a part of something greater than myself. For the first time I felt we wouldn’t be lying to our children when we say “You can be anything you dream to be.”
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