A historic day
Something felt different this morning as I awakened. It might sound cliche or the reason may seem obvious, but just hours earlier the stimulus for that reaction was in place, even if I was slow on the uptake.
Leading up to Tuesday night, seemingly everyone projected at least a comfortable win for Barack Obama. I wasn't getting excited; I'm a cynic, he's a Black man in America and this is the same country that elected George W. Bush to two terms. All along, I kept saying, "I'll believe it when I see it", like I did to a man who lives in the unit across from me as I walked in around 8:30. I continued to say it as the networks were calling states in Obama's favor even with barely a double-digit percent of the precincts reporting, thinking it was awfully early and remembering what happened in 2000.
As 11 P.M. Eastern time approached on Tuesday night, I was at home watching CNN and had a friend on the phone. They showed that the poll closings in west coast states were coming up, counting down the final seconds to it, and as that happened the reporter said they were on the verge of something historic that they had waited a long time for.
Seconds later, they called the election for Obama.
I was still in the "I'll believe it when I see it" mode. The polls had just closed - meaning 0 percent of precincts were reporting - but now they projected Oregon, Washington and California to Obama, which put him at 297 electoral votes, over the 270 needed. As they showed Grant Park in Chicago, along with a few other sites, my friend and I talked about this more. I didn't say much because I wasn't sold yet that it happened - call me a cynic right to the end. It wasn't until John McCain spoke that I really believed it. By that time, my friend had wandered off, probably trying to find a tape because she wanted to remember the coverage of this. I hope she got Obama's speech because it was amazing.
I never imagined it would happen in my lifetime. Right from the beginning I didn't think it would happen, and right up until the end I wasn't so sure it would, either. But here we are with a Black man elected President.
CNN naturally talked a lot about the historical aspect of this and what it means. I hesitate to have pie-in-the-sky visions of the future based on this outcome - again, just call me cynical. Racism didn't die with the Civil Rights Movement over 40 years ago - indeed, it's not like that came peacefully, either - and it didn't die with Obama being the Democratic nominee. It sure won't die with him being President. Indeed, I got proof positive of this in short order, as one of the TV stations I flipped around to before Obama spoke - I can't recall if it was local news or a network, in all honesty - talked about how for so long, Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton have been "spokesmen" for Black America, and that angered me because I know it's patently false and the only people who ever "elected" them as such are those in the media.
But part of me is saying to push that aside and ask myself: how much is my cynicism warranted? Is there a degree to which I should check it at the door, so to speak? Is this, perhaps, a turning point in our history on race? As much as I hope but don't think it will be, the answer to the last question is, to be sure, unknown right now. We'll only know in hindsight.
There is something I can say with plenty of confidence: had John McCain won, it would not have been a happy night. In this election, the level of interest and engagement among Americans was at a level I haven't seen in my lifetime. Granted, I'm only 32, but I've been around for a few elections and understood enough since 1992 to see this. Even in 2004, when so many people were vocal in their dislike for Bush, there wasn't this kind of interest and engagement.
Maybe the election cycle's earlier beginning helped, but I doubt that's the case. So many of the most interested and engaged parties were supporters of our next President, and I saw it on a consistent basis. It didn't matter where I was; I saw Obama t-shirts or buttons being worn, I'd see lots of memorabilia for sale at events like the Capital Jazz Fest, African Festival of the Arts or Chicago Jazz Fest, and so many friends of mine cared so much about this election. Many found ways to volunteer for his campaign in any way they could. Numerous people voted before November 4, and not just those casting absentee ballots while overseas or in college away from home. CNN is saying we may have a record voter turnout nationwide.
None of this was because of John McCain. Had McCain won, I feel safe in saying that the level of interest and engagement would probably drop to or even below pre-election levels. I wouldn't be surprised if many Americans would head for the exits, especially since plenty said they would leave the country if Bush won in 2004. It would feel like a devastating loss in a championship game - all that work and excitement, just to come up short of the ultimate goal. And that would have been a shame in this case, because winning would carry additional benefits - there is a great deal to be said for having an interested and engaged population.
Say one thing for Barack Obama, no matter how you feel about him policy-wise: he got Americans interested and engaged in this election like I haven't seen in my lifetime. No matter how guarded I was about this, no matter how cynical I am, I can't argue with that. And if that's the best thing that will come out of him being President, it's quite an accomplishment. It's already the reason I have more hope for our future now than I did 24 hours ago.
On November 5, 2008, I'm proud to be an American, more so than at any other time in my life.
Leading up to Tuesday night, seemingly everyone projected at least a comfortable win for Barack Obama. I wasn't getting excited; I'm a cynic, he's a Black man in America and this is the same country that elected George W. Bush to two terms. All along, I kept saying, "I'll believe it when I see it", like I did to a man who lives in the unit across from me as I walked in around 8:30. I continued to say it as the networks were calling states in Obama's favor even with barely a double-digit percent of the precincts reporting, thinking it was awfully early and remembering what happened in 2000.
As 11 P.M. Eastern time approached on Tuesday night, I was at home watching CNN and had a friend on the phone. They showed that the poll closings in west coast states were coming up, counting down the final seconds to it, and as that happened the reporter said they were on the verge of something historic that they had waited a long time for.
Seconds later, they called the election for Obama.
I was still in the "I'll believe it when I see it" mode. The polls had just closed - meaning 0 percent of precincts were reporting - but now they projected Oregon, Washington and California to Obama, which put him at 297 electoral votes, over the 270 needed. As they showed Grant Park in Chicago, along with a few other sites, my friend and I talked about this more. I didn't say much because I wasn't sold yet that it happened - call me a cynic right to the end. It wasn't until John McCain spoke that I really believed it. By that time, my friend had wandered off, probably trying to find a tape because she wanted to remember the coverage of this. I hope she got Obama's speech because it was amazing.
I never imagined it would happen in my lifetime. Right from the beginning I didn't think it would happen, and right up until the end I wasn't so sure it would, either. But here we are with a Black man elected President.
CNN naturally talked a lot about the historical aspect of this and what it means. I hesitate to have pie-in-the-sky visions of the future based on this outcome - again, just call me cynical. Racism didn't die with the Civil Rights Movement over 40 years ago - indeed, it's not like that came peacefully, either - and it didn't die with Obama being the Democratic nominee. It sure won't die with him being President. Indeed, I got proof positive of this in short order, as one of the TV stations I flipped around to before Obama spoke - I can't recall if it was local news or a network, in all honesty - talked about how for so long, Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton have been "spokesmen" for Black America, and that angered me because I know it's patently false and the only people who ever "elected" them as such are those in the media.
But part of me is saying to push that aside and ask myself: how much is my cynicism warranted? Is there a degree to which I should check it at the door, so to speak? Is this, perhaps, a turning point in our history on race? As much as I hope but don't think it will be, the answer to the last question is, to be sure, unknown right now. We'll only know in hindsight.
There is something I can say with plenty of confidence: had John McCain won, it would not have been a happy night. In this election, the level of interest and engagement among Americans was at a level I haven't seen in my lifetime. Granted, I'm only 32, but I've been around for a few elections and understood enough since 1992 to see this. Even in 2004, when so many people were vocal in their dislike for Bush, there wasn't this kind of interest and engagement.
Maybe the election cycle's earlier beginning helped, but I doubt that's the case. So many of the most interested and engaged parties were supporters of our next President, and I saw it on a consistent basis. It didn't matter where I was; I saw Obama t-shirts or buttons being worn, I'd see lots of memorabilia for sale at events like the Capital Jazz Fest, African Festival of the Arts or Chicago Jazz Fest, and so many friends of mine cared so much about this election. Many found ways to volunteer for his campaign in any way they could. Numerous people voted before November 4, and not just those casting absentee ballots while overseas or in college away from home. CNN is saying we may have a record voter turnout nationwide.
None of this was because of John McCain. Had McCain won, I feel safe in saying that the level of interest and engagement would probably drop to or even below pre-election levels. I wouldn't be surprised if many Americans would head for the exits, especially since plenty said they would leave the country if Bush won in 2004. It would feel like a devastating loss in a championship game - all that work and excitement, just to come up short of the ultimate goal. And that would have been a shame in this case, because winning would carry additional benefits - there is a great deal to be said for having an interested and engaged population.
Say one thing for Barack Obama, no matter how you feel about him policy-wise: he got Americans interested and engaged in this election like I haven't seen in my lifetime. No matter how guarded I was about this, no matter how cynical I am, I can't argue with that. And if that's the best thing that will come out of him being President, it's quite an accomplishment. It's already the reason I have more hope for our future now than I did 24 hours ago.
On November 5, 2008, I'm proud to be an American, more so than at any other time in my life.