Little did Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. know on the day he delivered his history making “I Have a Dream” speech in Washington, that the manifestation of that dream was a two-year old boy growing up in Honolulu, Hawaii.
The closing of the 2008 National Democratic Convention this week was a culmination of hope, promise and powerful endorsements that put Barack Obama one step closer to becoming our nation’s forty-fourth president. Being a staunch supporter of his viability, I often bite back my defensive wrath when I hear cynics challenge his fortitude to lead the free world. After the powerful display of delegate, racial, socioeconomic, and international unity at last week’s democratic convention, the naysayers will now have to find more effectual speaking points. Their constant banter over Senator Obama’s lack of executive and foreign policy experience has proven futile in swaying his supporters. The most laughable part of their cynicism is that most Obama detractors who tout the “inexperience mantra” are the same tank thinkers who had a hand in seating the most inexperienced, elusive, socially detached and deceptive president in our nation’s history, George W. Bush.
In his address at the democratic convention, former President Bill Clinton spoke of how skeptics labeled him similarly in his 1992 bid for office. Yet, in the face of his opposition, he led the country through a phenomenally prosperous tenure, where all classes of people could share in the country’s economic boost, not just the affluent. His personal and marital recklessness aside, America flourished during President Clinton’s reign. Our country had a budget surplus, saw historical spikes in home ownership (with emphasis on first-timers) and mortgages were real investment vehicles where homeowners could safely store away equity for future reserves. The country was a far cry from its current $2 trillion deficit and poorly regulated, predatory lending practices that have resulted in nearly 2.5 million foreclosures in 2007 alone.
Barack Obama is pushing for change in our country. Real change. His endeavors and strategic plans for America are fresh, achievable and passionate. They are not souped up speaking points, charismatic campaign ruses or motivational marketing ploys - but tactical blueprints. When Obama speaks of change, it is born out of his love of county and zeal to make our world a better place for all – young, old, rich, poor, black, white, American or not. More than any president in recent history, his approach is geared toward peace and unification. It was Bill Clinton who charged in his speech that, “America should impress the rest of the world with the power of our example, rather than example of our power”. Barack will set that example in his strike to end nuclear proliferation, poverty, genocide and 21st century terrorism. The enthusiastic reception he received in his recent travels to Germany and Iraq are proof that he has already begun his mission of change and unification.
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Article comments
1 - Cannonshop
Nice, stirring opinion piece. Barack Obama is truly all things to all observers, depending on what the observer wants to see. It's very easy to understand how he can present a flickering fire in the swamps to a lost traveller.
Bit like a will 'o wisp, actually.
2 - Woodstock
Obama is for change huh? He voted with the Democratic senate 97% of the time. They were in charge during this economic downturn and did nothing about it.
Check out this and get your facts straight.
3 - Joanne Huspek
I have to admit, when BO first came on the scene, I was wowwed like everyone else. As a package, he is quite pretty. Charming, gives a good speech. I am currently reading the book you have chosen to display, and the man is a craftsman at turning a phrase, to be sure. However, there is a matter of the record of his achievements, which is painfully thin.
I'm going to keep looking, at ALL the candidates...
4 - Dalilah
Woodstock, go suck an egg and get your facts straight! Not one of us alive can honestly say we are not a work in progress. The work we do on ourselves is centered around growth and evolution. My grandmother use to always say, WHEN YOU KNOW BETTER, YOU DO BETTER. I will be the first to say Obama is a young politician, who will be enormously impacted by this race, regardless of whether he becomes our next president. No matter what you say or have been conditioned to believe, the fact remains that AMERICA Looooooooooooooooves OBAMA, has rallied behind him in record numbers, trusts in his strategy for change and thinks John McCain should be sucking the other end of the egg in your mouth.
5 - amadou
Absolutely on point. Furthermore, the cause of a situation can hardly become the agent of it's reversal. In this case the republicans, after 8 l o n g y e a r s, have spent about $700 trilion from our budget. They were left with a $300 trillion of deficit and now $400 trillion dollars in deficit. Now any CEO would be fired after a much lower loss. Wow! America! Wake up! We have been robbed by the Republican Party and we are not in the streets rebelling against this travesty, this dispicable rape of our tax dollars and our trust. 8 l o n g y e a r s and now Bush and the republican party are being ousted only by default or are we going to let these rich oilers and armateurs keep destroying the AMERICAN LEGACY. A legacy that is being erected as we remain silent behind the tv sets and comfortably in our houses until the day we are kicked out. Our so-called enemies are investing more than before in the U.S. due to the weak dollar. These republicans just like mouse are eating the cheese all the cheese and then they are biting off our fingers while blowing air. We need to react.
without transition, Obama has since the begining of his canpaign only taken sound and mature decisions all the way up to his acceptance speech in Colorado. Although I respect Palin and believe that she has merits, I suspect that McCain showed rash and hasty bad judgement. A call at three in the morning may push him to make the wrong decision.
For the past 8 years, we had someone who took rash and hasty bad decisions. It is not necessarily a bad thing to take fast decision as long they are good decision. Sound judgement is the foundation. The Republican party has not shown sound judgement with USA, inc. They are to be fired. Probation and disciplinary actions are long past. Like Obama said and McCain dubbed "It is about YOU, not him" Let us change the WHITE HOUSE LEADERSHIP not by default but by CHOICE.
We need to allow real change to take place by the The real agents of change: Obama and Biden.
6 - Zedd
I hope we don't squander this oportunity. We have a chance at getting it right. I am afraid that it's going to be George Bush all over again!
7 - Cannonshop
I hope we don't squander this oportunity. We have a chance at getting it right. I am afraid that it's going to be George Bush all over again!
So...why are you supporting someone whose main claim to fame, is getting famous?
Seriously. "America LOOVES OBAMA!!"-and that's probably true, just like they love Oprah, and Doctor Phil, and George Clooney, and a whole lot of other famous people, some of whom have done something to be famous, and some of whom have not.
But at the end of the day, when you talk about "ISSUES", it's kind of useful to have some way of measuring how successful someone is ON the issues.
There were substantial democrats in the primaries-and they failed, but was this because of superiority of Obama, or simply the man's ability to reflect back what his audience wanted to see? Without a record, there's no way to be sure you're not just getting George of the Left instead of George of the right. When all you know about a man is what he tells you about himself in ad copy, it's pretty much nothing.
Being good at being famous is not the same thing as being good for the country.
8 - Cannonshop
Oh, how I hate it when I have to do the opposing side's research...
Link
Now, when someone asks "What did Obama Do?" you have something to start answering them with, that likely belongs on a resume' and may well be an actual accomplishment. (at minimum, it's better than talking to a fifth of a million germans between free concerts.)