It's Melissa. I left Harlem, New York 24 hours ago, flew over the North Pole and landed back in smoggy ol' Delhi. A heady rush of emotion (and severe jet lag) left me sobbing with emotion as President-elect Obama accepted the nomination. Wow. President Obama. Pretty amazing.
I'm sorry I'm missing the wild parties back in the US, but I'm excited to be back in India for the election for the chance to see how the rest of the world reacts to the news. This is one of the greatest benefits to being an expat abroad: I get to see my country and myself through the eyes of others. It is incredibly easy to forget the outside world when you're living in a nation, like the US, that takes up so much of the news on the world stage. And the US media often opts to forgo international news for the latest sensational news story. In fact, I had a hard time while in the US staying current on Indian news. But for now, there is a good reason all eyes are on the US. We're making history.
From the Indian corner of the world, it seems that people abroad are pretty proud of the US, and excited about the new direction. It's the first time in a long time that being an American abroad doesn't draw complaints, but rather draws complements and congratulations. Since 9/11, I haven't felt such a unification of international and national pride.
That feels pretty good, especially since I've felt my country has been so divided over the past few years, and especially the past few months.
I know: this is rather an incoherent posting. Blame the jet lag. But I do want to ask you guys something. Actually, I want to ask the McCain supporters something. In Obama's acceptance speech he told you he was going to be your president too. Will he be? Can he be? What does he need to do to be?
I, for one, hope so.
Comments
You Are Here: standing on the brink of change. It's been a long 16 or more years of same-old, same-old in politics. I'm excited at the prospects ahead; a little apprehensive at some of the possibilities, certainly, but then there's always a mix of good and bad.
Although I was very young at the time, I recall much the same feeling in the people around me when Reagan won the election against Carter. There was a burgeoning hope, an excitement that here, at last, was someone who would lead a nation to be proud of. I am hopeful that President-Elect Obama can do that for us, too.
Politically, Obama is very, very liberal. There are very few things on which I agree with him; his ideals are not even close to mine. If he is to earn my approval at all, he will need to realize that though there are many people who swing more to the politcal left, there are many who are conservative and moderate. He needs to walk that middle ground.
Also, change is good - when its for growth and improvement. What I don't want to see is change for the sake of change, or change that will always meet the taste of the public or (especially) the media - because sometimes being in leadership means making the unpopular decisions. (Again, though, I say that under the premise that he remembers moderation, ahem.) He'd also better keep the long-term in mind, no matter what decisions he makes.
Finally, he'd better get some good, experienced, awesomely-amazing military men on his team who know what they're doing. In fact, I'd like to see him surround himself with a bunch of older, experienced people who know what they're doing and who are also moderate and/or varied politically. And then he should listen to their advice.
That's all that comes to mind at the moment.
I'd expect this from any leader worth their salt though.
That said, I'm looking forward to the next four years. I think that whatever happens, whatever Obama chooses to do, support or attempt, this is an exciting year to experience an election. Personally, I'm proud of our entire nation. The record number of voters really has me energized! It's so amazing to see people learning about political issues, discussing them, and making informed decisions.
The point of a vote is to express individual opinions. I respect everyone who voted, regardless of their candidate of choice; I'm just glad they participated in the whole process. Equally so, it's important to stay involved, keep voting, contacting representatives and remaining informed.
Even though I was strongly opposed to almost everything President Bush did or stood for, I made it a point to strive to respect him for his position and duties. Barack Obama deserves the very same, even from those who don't support him.
I know change is difficult, albeit exciting...but for those who are having difficulty finding it within their capacity to support Obama, consider that Obama's candidacy inspired so many Americans to register to vote and to get out there and represent their own beliefs.
Until yesterday, I felt as though this nation was spiraling out of control. That was until I drove to the voting center and saw the huge lines (and parking difficulties) and felt my heart fill with national pride, regardless of who won, but moreso in my fellow Americans.
I think the celebration of Obama's victory ought to be coupled with a celebration of the renewal of Americans' interest in what happens here.
In this election, a few of those jaded friends of mine finally voted. I hope that more of them will do it next time.
It definitely merits celebration, I think.
If, by some miracle, his ridiculous pie-in-the-sky policies are actually put into use and they work, sure, I'll accept him. I'm not unreasonable, I love my country more than I hate Barack Obama. I just have very little faith that he's capable of doing the things he's promised.
To see not only our nation, but the entire world moved so much by the change that was made on November 4th is an amazing, moving thing. It was like a great sigh of relief swept across the vast oceans and wide continents, echoing through the mountains and over enless prairies and deserts with the soft utterance of: "Yes we can, and yes we did."
I am so proud of my fellow Americans. While the rest of the world was ready for a change, we remained stagnant for so long, bitter about our decisions. Finally, after 8 years, we were ready to make a difference, and we did.
We do not celebrate alone, we celebrate with the world. I can not explain how humbled I am by the experience, and how grateful I am that we have finally opened our eyes and did what we thought needed to be done.
100% Obama supporter.
One, that he scares me. Not for any , but that just two weeks ago this nation was so absolutely polarized over him being in any sort of position of power, and now, only two measly weeks later, the nation appears...not so bothered by it; insomuch that none of the facts have changed (apart from the whole election thing), but by only the strength of his words has he allayed most of the concerns and outrages of over 300 million people; such that the nation to which I belong seems to be not unlike how the crowd at a concert all sways in time to the music serenading them, mindless to the passing of time.
Granted, I don't keep up on the research statistics, nor education in group psychology, as much as I should in order to make such bare-faced generalities befitting a people group so large. But the seeming ability to, without rules or regulations, change the mindset of the people over which he will establish his administration, regarding the fact of his administration, scares the willies out of me.
Bottom line: Obama could be very, very good or very, very bad. These next years, I do not sincerely think will be anything less than the most dramatically changing years that America has seen since...
You know, it just occurred to me how hackneyed that phrase is.
Lincoln united a nation over slavery, which didn't inflict riots, but family-splitting civil war. Washington, pardon my probably incorrect perception of US history, had to be the singular vanguard of a fledgling nation. There are better examples of what I'm trying to say, but I sincerely do think that upon Mr. Obama's shoulders rests the same magnitude of direction that the United States of America has faced only at few select times in history, when men whom have made those decisions have now been esteemed into infamy.
Can he be my president? Yes, yes he can. Will he measure up to the legacy of those men who have preceded him, in times as these? It's his choice.
It's much easier to kill a plant than to get one to grow. Not critiquing his gardening skills, but this particular garden was fashioned in a singularly spectacular way, and there isn't a spare we can buy in the store to replace it.