The meaning of Obama’s victory

Today, political pundits on CNN summed up the reasons for Obama’s victory: being in the right place at the right time, using caucuses to launch his campaign, relying on small donations from millions of donors who gave time after time and moving to the ‘middle’ to appeal to independents and the commonalities of democrats and the undecided alike. As I watch this in agreement, I also can’t help but think that those reasons don’t capture the fundamental significance of this moment and they overlook what I have felt was at the core of Obama’s appeal to so many: the desire for change.

Change not only from failed foreign and economic policies that have brought America to its knees in the past years; change, not just from a party whose appeal diminished in light of disappointing leadership, uncontrolled spending and lack of discipline in following its own creed; but a radical change in gears, in the type of leaders we elect, in the way we interact with campaigns, in the way we relate to one another, in the way we follow what’s best in us instead of what’s scary. Change to a state of mind that allows us to live up to the ideals of this great nation and to prove to ourselves that we are special after all. We can transcend. We can evolve.

Through Obama’s victory, who ran not as an African American, but as an American, a new door has opened not just for other African Americans but for all minorities in this country who can now dream of holding the highest office in the land. We have been vindicated and no longer need to feel like second class citizens because the majority of America has spoken and we spoke to unity. We are tired of divisiveness. Our issues weighed more in this election than race. Even as we supported Obama, many of us feared that the good old boys “would not let this happen”, would not let the people elect someone different. We now know that America is alive. The spirit of greatness that built this nation has been dormant, but has not been vanished by a privileged crowd clinging to its way and defending its special interests. We now know that the power of possibility is still vibrant in our people if they just have the chance to rise to the occasion. The American spirit of fighting, of attaining, of uniting, of doing the right thing portrayed in the movies that attracted so many immigrants to this land is not a myth created in Hollywood. As I watched the election results overwhelmed by emotion last night, I told myself: this is what makes America great: anything can happen and the right thing did happen. We now have a president elect who not only represents a shift in America’s political history, but the knowledge that movements that appeal not to fear, but to the best of us in times of crisis yield the best results.

A president by himself can’t do much to fix the economy, restore good standing and move a country out of a multi-tiered mess; but a people energized by renewed belief in the American dream will go about their day more confident, work a little harder, strive to be better and THAT has repercussions in every aspect of our lives. We are not losers doomed to look back at a once great and powerful nation. We are fighters filled with hope and courage and we will once again cause America to be the best it can be.

“There’s never been anything false about hope!” Oh, what a great day this is!

Obama’s victory caps struggles of previous generations – CNN.com

President-elect Obama’s victory Tuesday may be a racially transformative event. But for people like Kennedy, who came through the fires of the civil rights movement, it also represents something else — personal triumph. Obama’s win validates the risks they took years ago. iReport.com: What does Obama’s victory mean to you?

Obama addresses Chicago crowd on Election night, November 4th, 2008:

Yes, we can: