I don't very often comment on politics, but on this day of all days maybe it's appropriate.
We woke before 5am this morning. Not because of any excitement about the result of the US election, but simply because we're in a vicious cycle of going to bed early and waking early. And waking early makes us tired, so we fall asleep by 9pm and then wonder if there's any point sitting dozing in front of the telly. So we go to bed early. And wake early.
The result, apparently, became clear at 4am UK time, and was heralded for us by such things as family messages on Facebook ("Go Obama!") and emails from friends in the right timezone. So I thought I'd pop along to the BBC News website and see what they had to say. And what they had to say was firstly that the result was a lot closer than some had predicted, but with several States left to declare Barack Obama was already past the winning post.
Then I made the mistake of reading his victory speech, which is reproduced in full on the BBC webpages. I defy all but the most battle-hardened cynics to read the full text without a tear in their eye. There's a message in there for those cynics too.
Who knows how many bloggers all around the world are recording their thoughts on the dawn of what most of us hope will be a new day, in all senses of the phrase? Mine is just one tiny, insignificant, uneducated voice in that massive melee of humanity, so I will say only this.
There is no doubting the strength and passion of Obama's oratory. Nor do I doubt his sincerity. Uniquely among politicians (for yes, where that breed are concerned, I'm just as cynical as the next guy) I believe there is a man here who says what he means and means what he says. But oratory is one thing, and achievement is another. He knows what he has to do, he knows it will be hard, and he knows he can't do it alone. Let's pray for the miracle he will need if he's to do it at all, in the face of greed, self-interest, corruption, duplicity and malice.
On this very day, 403 years ago, a man tried to change the course of history with kegs full of gunpowder. Let's hope after 400 years America has found a man who can light a metaphorical fire under their administration.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
2 comments:
That's quite the speech. He talks about a 106 year old woman who voted. We had a photo in our paper of a 105 year old black woman from South Carolina and i thought... what she must have seen in her lifetime!
Yes, he definitely is a great orator. I too had tears in my eyes, as did Karen in hers.
A friend has lent us "The Audacity of Hope", and you can really tell what makes the man tick. He's aware of what politics can do to you, and that's the first step toward not letting it happen. It's a good read.
I'm glad for the American people, and I'm glad for all of us.
Post a Comment