Last Week’s Election |

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Last Week’s Election

By Jillian Wheeler | November 10, 2008

It’s taken me a few days to write this blog post, perhaps because I’m still putting my own thoughts and reactions into perspective. We knew this was going to be an historic election: Americans would elect either a Black man for President, or a woman for Vice-President. I was excited and proud, either way.

I wrote something about that in an email to my list last week, and I was particularly touched by one of the emails I received in response. This is from Michael, and it arrived election night:

“So am I. I’m proud that we have the 1st Black president; it’s so inspiring. I, being a young Black man and Obama supporter, feel like I can take over the world and no one can stop me :+)”

I love that so many young people feel as though their futures just opened up in front of them! If a Black man can be President, the American dream truly belongs to all of us. And one day a woman will shatter that glass ceiling, and every little girl in American will be able to feel the same way.

I don’t usually do this, but I’m about to share some of my own political philosophy. If this isn’t your cup of tea, feel free to skip to another page and I’ll understand.

Originally, Obama wasn’t my candidate. I was a Hillary Clinton supporter right up until she conceded. As you may know, my husband is Black, and my family multiracial. I was pleased Obama was running, but he was an unknown quantity to me, whereas I knew exactly where Hillary stood on the issues, and what work she had done on the causes important to me.

I knew she was not well liked in many circles (that seems irrational to me, as she’s really a nice woman), but I felt she was well qualified, her policies were solid, and her heart is in the right place. As the campaign continued, I was very upset by the level of sexist rhetoric against her (to view some examples, check out www.youtube.com/watch?v=kcdnlNZg2iM).

When Senator Clinton withdrew, there was no question I’d support Senator Obama. After all, his policies and his stands on the issues were virtually the same as hers, and mine. I was disappointed we weren’t going to elect a woman president, but I couldn’t ignore the fact that Obama had won the nomination through his superior campaign organization, particularly in the caucus states.

How a candidate conducts his campaign, particularly over such a long period of time (22 months), is a fair indicator of how he will govern, I think. Obama’s campaign was flawless. He had a clear message, and he never varied from that message. Senator McCain, on the other hand, came out with a new campaign message almost every week.

His campaign was all over the place, disorganized, confusing, chaotic and most of all, mean-spirited. I’m not naïve, and I understand that negative campaigning sometimes works when a candidate is behind, but taking the low road did not help McCain. It made a lie of his claim to be the candidate who could work “across the aisle” and create unity.

After many decades of participating in campaigns and being a political junkie, watching and observing the ever widening divide between the two parties in this country, I am somewhat skeptical that we can return to a more innocent time, politically. I’m basically an optimist, so I wouldn’t describe myself as cynical, but certainly skeptical. The Rush Limbaughs of the airwaves have such an investment in stirring up animosity among Americans, I don’t know if we can ever heal the divide that has come to separate us, Republican from Democrat, conservative from progressive.

Over these final months of the campaign, however, I began to feel something happening. Obama was tapping into our national consciousness, our deep desire to be good people and do good things again.

I watched the huge crowds he drew, and at first I was uncomfortable with that, on the lookout for demagoguery. But Obama never presented himself as the solution to our national problems; he constantly emphasized the movement of which he, and his supporters, were all a part.

I, the political skeptic, began to feel something spiritual was happening. It was as though Obama – this young unknown, who began with no money and minimal organization less than two years ago – was riding the tide of history, a tide that was lifting us all up to higher aspirations, and honorable intentions, and a return to the true ideals of America.

Yet, Senator Obama is not just an idealist. He is a pragmatist. The success of his campaign, and his first steps in putting together a team, demonstrate that. In some hopeful place deep in my heart – someplace where skepticism can’t reach – I am longing for the possibility that he can lead America to the goodness to which our Founders aspired.

I hope we can leave behind the images of waterboarding, and Guantanamo and Abu Ghraib, and once again become a beacon of hope in the world. I hope we can loosen the grip of the insurance lobby, and provide health insurance to the 47 million Americans whose health is at risk.

I really like the fact that Obama is a brilliant intellectual in his own right, who has turned to the finest minds in the country for advice about the economy. I am hopeful that he and his administration will extricate us from Iraq with minimal further damage to that country, while protecting us against the real threat posed by Islamic fundamentalist terrorism, and unstable regimes in Iran and North Korea.

Whatever President Obama does, the real challenge lies with you and me. Can progressives, whose candidate won, eschew arrogance and respectfully listen to the concerns of conservative Americans? Can conservatives put aside their disappointment and perhaps their fear, and work with the new administration to move forward on the agenda Americans overwhelmingly supported?

These are not just questions for elected officials. This is the challenge before each of us.
Can all of us, on both sides of this wretched political divide, open our hearts to each other?

Can we turn our radio stations away from the talk show hosts spewing hate, fear and division? Can we all just be Americans, together?

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