November 5, 2008
Yes We Did!
I am so happy. It keeps coming in waves. That said, I am also a realist.
Barack Obama, by his own admission, is imperfect. He has positions I find troubling. He comes to the presidency against a near-impossible situation and he’ll not get it right because I’m not sure it is fully rightable. Still…
I love these things:
he is a grown-up and I long for a grown-up
he is an intellectual and I’m tired of Teh Stupid and especially Teh Fake Stupid
he is a symbol to blacks that cannot be denied and theirs is a community so in need and so deserving of hope after so long
he is a symbol to the world that America isn’t a redneck, rogue state
he will make mistakes but I don’t think I’ll ever feel so ashamed as I have these long recent years
he is deeply, passionately in love with his wife and it shows and it is important for all Americans to have a stable first family, but especially for the black community
by all accounts, he is an excellent and devoted father. his comfort around children is evident in a way I’ve not seen in baby-holding pictures of candidates
There is a vast difference between being disappointed and feeling ashamed. I’m looking forward to that internationally.
There is a vast problem with electing a symbol versus electing a human, but we seem to be graced with a human who can function as a symbol with some degree of humility. Humility is also welcome and wonderful. Same with his calmness. You can’t fake calm and I appreciate that in him.
Last but not least, there are aesthetics.
He ran the most amazingly designed campaign. The value of brand message is evident and this 21 month experiment is a teachable lesson in the power of good design and strong, vibrant, positive messaging. America as a nation lacks this, evidenced anecdotally in my own travels.
He and his family are really beautiful. They take photos well. They are a pleasure to see as they move with grace in the world. This is a subtle thing, but I do believe both Americans and the world notice, even subconsciously, that it makes a surprising difference when the rhetoric, the body language, and the overall aesthetics align to make you *want* to agree, *want* to work harder towards a goal. Bill Clinton had some of this, but let’s all admit, he was a little smarmy about it. Barack is the anti-smarm while retaining all the charm and ease of character.
And it is just plain good that a message of hope is what won the day, ahead of a message of fear. That is a sea change.
Filed by joy at 11:02 am under life
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