The People Have Spoken; "Yes We Can!"

Fifteen months ago, I wrote a six paragraph note to a few friends. Hours later that missive would become my first blog entry. The topic was Barack Obama. More precisely, “Obama Plays the Experience Card,” which might aptly have been called the Inexperience Card. At the time, Senator Hillary Clinton was the odds on favorite to secure the Democratic Nomination for President. Alternately, Senator Obama was considered, in many corners, to be the little known junior Senator from Illinois, recognized more for skillful oratory than political acumen.

Fast forward 71 blog posts later- Dateline: Tuesday, November 4, 2008, 11:00 p.m.

Today the people of the United States of America spoke. What did they say? The short answer is, at 11:00 P.M., Eastern Standard Time, when the California polls closed, media outlets in effect uttered the pronouncement, “Ladies and gentlemen, the President of the United States, Barack Hussein Obama (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barack_Obama). But they also said, collectively, and with vigor, the experience of the past 8 years is not what this Country aspires to during the next four years. American voters emphatically rejected the policies, politics, and many of the politicians that brought us wars in Iraq, and Afghanistan, and the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression.

Hearkening back to the time I initially wrote about Senator Obama, he contended his inexperience was actually a plus. He was in the early stages of making the case that we, the people, wanted change, and furthermore, that he was just the man to bring us “The Change We Could Believe In.” The argument was predicated on the fact that the experience of those in Washington was the foundation of a specific way of thinking. That mind set, he suggested, had caused widespread internal malaise, ever-deepening fiscal insolvency, and international reputation of isolationism and classic ugly Americanism. It was time for Change, he concluded.

Obviously, between that day in August 2007 and today, a host of twists and turns ensued. One of the most significant impediments to any contemplation of Barack Obama as a serious candidate for President was the competing Candidacy of Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton. The junior Senator from New York had a deep reservoir of support, a robust fund raising apparatus, universal name recognition, and the imposing legacy of being the wife of a former President, and the allegiance of numerous black supporters.

The Democratic Primary season quickly defaulted into a race between the two junior Senators. In hindsight, one of the best things to happen to Senator Obama was the arduous battle testing he received, courtesy of Senator Clinton. Much as with athletic contests, the superior competition forced Obama to raise his game. By the time the General Election Campaign kicked-off, Senator Obama had been thoroughly prepared for whatever Team GOP would throw at him.

Senator Obama and his team crafted a uniquely successful fund raising mechanism that was so wildly successful, it set and then broke several records. He and his strategists developed precinct organizing and Get Out The Vote (GOTV) efforts for the Primaries, and the General Election that were not only textbook in their conception, but brilliantly executed. He and his Vice President selection, Senator Joe Biden of Delaware, won (according to most independent news sources) all three Presidential Debates, and the Vice Presidential Debate.

So as we embark on the historic Presidency of Barack Obama, what do we know, and what do we not know? Beginning with the latter question, we do not know precisely how the Senator will govern. But there have been clues. He has formed an impressive array of advisers on foreign, domestic, and economic policy, among other things. Using these resources as touchstones should serve him and us well.

Alternately, if we know little about his style of governance, we know volumes about how he thinks and leads. Clearly, in direct defiance of Senator McCain’s assertion during the first Presidential Debate, Obama knows the difference between strategic and tactical, and how to formulate and effectively execute both. The Clintons and McCain-Palin would likely attest to that today. Several weeks ago, during his endorsement of Obama, General Colin Powell praised Obama for his high-powered intellect, but also noted that he was a good fit for leading the Country at this time because of his being a generational as well as a transformative figure. He will bring a renewed elevation in depth and quality of our National debates, as a sense of re-engagement on numerous foreign policy fronts and issues.

You may note I did not lead with black pride as the central element of this discussion. Clearly, yesterday’s vote was a defining moment in our Nation’s history. However, it remains unclear what it defined. Senator Obama did not run on race, and I will not compress his election into a referendum on melanin. A friend of mine contends that we have entered the Post-Obama era. Without getting into a long, tortuous explanation, to use a football analogy, that means we moved the chains yesterday; we advanced. But just as in football, there is plenty of game left. In short, for those who would like to take issues of race, ethnicity, diversity, and other similar issues off the table now, forget about it. The reality is this is the beginning, not the end.

But lucky for you, it is near the end of this conversation. Remember, as you wend your way through the day; know that from Halifax to Honolulu, the “Audacity of Hope” of an entire people (Americans) has been validated. As President-elect Obama said in his acceptance speech (http://cosmos.bcst.yahoo.com/up/player/popup/?rn=4226712&cl=10539568&src=news), “Change has come to America.” He went on to note the climb will be steep, and long, but we will get there. “Yes We Can!” I’m done; Holla back!

Read my blog anytime by clicking the link: http://thesphinxofcharlotte.blogspot.com. A new post is published each Wednesday.


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