Essay

A shift in U.S. politics

By Steve Ford

I spent most of October and early November obsessively following the U.S. election campaign on the Internet. Like a championship boxing match every punch and counterpunch was exciting to watch.

It seemed the battle for the presidency would never end. But the American people had a date with destiny that would not wait forever, and they went to the polls on Nov. 4.

Finally, at about 1:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 5, in Japan, CNN jumped in and announced the verdict of the people, declaring Senator Barack Hussein Obama the next U.S. president.

A few minutes later, his Republican opponent, Senator John McCain, conceded and congratulated the first African-American president-elect of the United States.

A historical moment, and whatever one's political affiliation, this election marked an embrace of the electoral process in the U.S., the likes of which I had never seen before.

To be sure, the campaign was long, divisive and filthy enough to draw flies. The man who would be the 44th president of the United States of America was called a communist, socialist, friend of terrorists, unpatriotic, un-American and on and on ad infinitum.

When you look at the situation America finds itself in today, with an economic meltdown in progress, a massive budget deficit, two wars, a hard-line Iran looking to obtain nuclear weapons, the banking bailout, etc., you have to wonder why anyone would want the job.

Still, Senator Obama ran a campaign based on hope, and the charismatic public speaker certainly inspired hope in his followers and received a degree of adulation usually reserved for pop stars.

Does this election mark a paradigm shift in American politics? It looks like it from here. Voters seem to have had enough of the rigid Republican neocon ideology that has left the country and its economy in near shambles.

Much depends on what the president-elect does with his electoral mandate and his party's now sizeable majority in both houses of Congress. Will he be an inspirational leader like Franklin Roosevelt or a disappointment a la Jimmy Carter?

I just hope Americans can overcome the divisive and rancorous campaign and unite to accomplish the daunting tasks ahead, and that Senator Obama, though inexperienced, will use his abundant intelligence and charisma to rise to the occasion.

Obama said in his victory speech: "The road ahead will be long. Our climb will be steep. We may not get there in one year or even one term, but America - I have never been more hopeful than I am tonight that we will get there. I promise you -we as a people will get there."

OK, President-elect Obama, we'll hold you to that, but for now I'll just savor this victory of hope that was such a long time coming.

Shukan ST: Nov. 21, 2008

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