President Barack Hussein Obama! We have to say it again. President Barack Hussein Obama! It has a nice ring to it. It has a historical ring to it, and a quite satisfying ring. Barack Hussein Obama (yes, that is his middle name and no one should feel const
President Barack Hussein Obama!
We have to say it again.
President Barack Hussein Obama!
It has a nice ring to it. It has a historical ring to it and a quite satisfying ring.
Barack Hussein Obama (yes, that is his middle name and no one should feel constrained about using it proudly) has been elected President of the United States.
A nation that 43 years ago needed a Civil Rights Act to even guarantee Black people the right to vote has now seen that hard-won legislation bring about a nation-changing electoral occurrence: the election of a Black man as president.
Four years ago, Obama was an obscure Illinois State Senator, one who won that seat after losing a race against Rep. Bobby Rush for his 2nd Congressional District seat. He was respected in Chicago and obviously marked for something bigger. But no one, perhaps not even Obama himself, thought that something bigger would be 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.
Obama’s victory is a testament to his intelligence and his political savvy. He navigated through the 21-month presidential campaign, dodging many pitfalls and working his way out of others. When he was beset by criticism of his affiliation with the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, Obama stepped out and delivered a masterful, landmark speech on race in America. When his opponents fired off accusations and personal attacks, Obama kept his composure, showing a temperment that would be fitting for the occupant of the most powerful position in the world.
He bested his Republican opponent, John McCain, in the three televised debates, and refused to be drawn into answering spurious claims–Marxist, socialist, communist, terrorist – and instead stayed on message.
In the meantime, he built one of the most efficient and successful campaign organizations of all time–one that will surely be studied by political scientists for years to come. His embracing of new technology, especially the Internet, allowed him to build his base, and to raise an unheard of $650 million, mostly from individuals donating $5, $10 and $50.
The victory is also a victory for this country. Obama has headed up a political and cultural revolution that promises to change politics in this nation for the next generation.
He brought in new voters, young voters, voters of all colors. He lived up to his theme, that there should be no more red states and blue states, but only the United States.
For today, Obama can bask in his victory, before he will have to roll up his sleeves and begin the transition. The transformation.
We congratulate Barack Hussein Obama on his historic win.
He’s done us proud.
Copyright 2008 Chicago Defender. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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