Inevitable Cliche' (The I ♥ Obama Blog)

Where do i begin? The feeling i felt at the announcement of Barack Obama's victory is indescribable. Even today, as i discussed it with some politically aware friends, i found it difficult to put all of my emotions into words. As i told them, i feel like i could talk about it forever and never fully do it justice. I will try and now im thinking it will take more like 5 paragraphs. But i think its necessary to write down how i feel for myself, because it truly is a beautiful moment to be alive. 

RELIEF. 

An awesome wave of relief rushing over me. That was my initial response. The past 6 months felt like i was drinking Budweisers at Shea for a 19-inning World Series game and holding my pee the entire time. The announcement of an Obama victory was not just the joy of a great win, but now i can finally go to the bathroom. I can breathe normally. I can relax without fear of 100 more years of war with Iraq. Or Bomb-bomb-bombing Iran. Or women losing the right to choose. Or diplomacy being a bad thing. Or Sarah fuckin' Palin. 

POWER. 

I feel powerful now. The election of 2000 was pretty disappointing. Seeing Gore win, then to have it taken away was disappointing. The lying and the deceit of a stolen election was shocking. But we still didn't really know what we were in store for. Then 9/11 happened. Then the war happened. Basically, Bush/Cheney happened. So 2004 roles around and we get John Kerry. I'm a little more politically aware, not really passionate about Kerry, but for me it was the choice of the  lesser of 2 evils. To have the election hijacked again was just a slap in the face. Angry. Powerless. Useless. Thats pretty much how i felt. These feeling eventually just evolved over the next four years into an overall sense of jadedness. 

Election season came around again and instead of not caring, i dove head first into the process. Education and Environment being my main concerns, i was hoping for Gore to enter the race. When he passed, i kept an open mind over the next year. Barack wins nomination but i still had my doubts. I think i was officially won over when he spoke at the DNC. Intelligent. Positive. Confident. Classy. And smooth as a mothafucker. He was just so god damn Presidential and he continued to be so throughout the grueling campaigning and debates. For the first time ever i felt truly passionate about getting a person elected. Not shying away from political conversation, challenging friends and family to explain why they feel a certain way. Disproving lies and so on. When Obama was announced as the winner i felt a surge of power. I do count. My vote does matter. I am somewhat responsible for making change. It instantly restored my faith in government, democracy, and America. And holy shit does it feel good. 

PRIDE.

This is a biggie. Growing up in the 80's an 90's you take being an American for granted. Yeah, we're number one. No duh! But then the Bush administration roles in and fucks EVERYTHING up. I was just plain embarrassed to be American. I never took for granted the freedoms and luxury that we are so lucky to have, but ashamed to be a part of what America has become: a corporatized, fascist, and self-righteous country that can do know wrong because God loves freedom,  run by a puppet government designed not to serve its people but to make money for a chosen few.  

President Barack Obama makes me so unbelievably proud to be an American. His victory speech was nothing short of inspirational. Again, that dude is just so god damn Presidential. Listening to him honestly brought tears to my eyes. I could sit here and list the many brilliant statements that he made, but its not really necessary. The speech in its entirety was stunningly stirring. What changed my tears from moist eyes to wet cheeks was his story of the 100+ year old woman from Atlanta. He used her life as a vehicle to relive history and to illustrate how far we have come as a country, as people. From slavery to segregation to civil right and now FINALLY President. This is such a monumental moment in history. The racial barrier is beginning to crumble. Unfortunately there will always be ignorance, and institutionalized prejudices are still commonplace. But for race to not be an issue for the majority of America is a beautiful thing.

In his latest special, Chris Rock was talking about what it would mean to him if Obama wins. He basically said that when white parents tell their kids they can be anything they want when they grow up, they mean it. And how if his daughters asked if they could be president he would say yes, but he would have his doubts. This is a question that doesn't need to be asked anymore because Obama is an example of the possibilities. Our President-elect is proof to young black people that success is possible through hard work. 

A sports writer recently posed the question whether or not sports figures helped make this day possible. Of course Jackie Robinson, Jack Johnson, Willie Mays, Tiger Woods, Michael Jordan were all instrumental in breaking down racial barriers. But like my man Mike Wilbon said, the sports world is still a form of entertainment, and blacks entertaining whites was never really frowned upon. President Barack Obama is not an entertainer, he's a political figure on the biggest stage in the world. His face is now the face of America. An America now represented by a person of color who won an election fairly, centered around positivity, change, and hope. And i am extremely proud of him, our country, and how far we have come.

HOPE.

Hope is what the Obama campaign was all about from the jump off. It is what i felt when i woke up at 7am on November 4th. It is what i was filled with at midnight when Obama took the stage in Chicago. And hope is really all we have on November 5th. Hope that the Bush administration doesn't make things worse. Hope that some deranged lunatic doesn't commit terrible act of violence. Hope that Obama is given the chance and can live up to his promises that he has made. Hope for real change. And the hope that we can make this country respectable again. It's not just Barack Obama's responsibilty, it's all of ours. And i plan on doing my part.