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November 21, 2008 02:06 IST
Throughout history, we have learned about transcendent figures that changed a generation. History is rich with individuals who inspired a passion in ordinary people to do extraordinary things. From Gandhi to Martin Luther King Junior to John and Robert Kennedy, the world has seen what is possible when you can motivate people into action.
On November 4, the United States of America made history by electing the first African American to become the 44th President of the United States, Barack Obama [Images].
As a young Indian American who was born in India but raised in the United States, this man has inspired me in numerous ways. It made think of the struggle my parents went through to give my brother and me a better life in America.
I was not born when Gandhi inspired a nation to break free. I was not born when John F Kennedy led a nation to a new frontier. I was not born when Martin Luther King and Robert Kennedy fought racial discrimination in the Civil Rights movement. But I feel privileged to have seen the election of a man who embodies many of the traits those great leaders had before him.
President-Elect Obama has shown poise in the face of great challenges personally and to the country he has sworn to serve. His judgment and decision-making have shown wisdom beyond his years. But his greatest trait to me, one that he shares with the leaders mentioned earlier, is his ability to inspire all different kinds of people.
Obama's ability to inspire has become the stuff of legends. Throughout his campaign, he was able to draw large crowds. Young and old, black and white, democrats and republicans, Obama was able to tap into something that is rare: a passion to act, a reason to hope, and to believe anything is possible.
Another example of his ability to inspire is that he was able raise over $500 million in his campaign mostly from small donors. In a time when the world economy is in peril and the US is involved in 2 expensive wars, this man was able to get people to contribute whatever they felt they could because they believed this man would provide a fresh, reasoned perspective to enact the change this nation needs. This was further illuminated by looking at his opposition in this election.In this election, Obama ran against the Republican ticket of Senator John McCain [Images] and Alaska governor Sarah Palin. John McCain is a true American hero who has served his country in ways few can imagine. He is a decorated member of our armed services and a former Prisoner Of War in Vietnam. In his 26 years in the United States Senate, McCain as gained a reputation as a 'maverick', someone who is willing to cross party lines and go against his own party alliances.
McCain has run for the presidency twice: this year and back in 2000. In 2000, he ran against George W Bush [Images] in the Republican primary. McCain was able to put up a fight early, but his bid essentially ended on Super Tuesday, a date on which a large cluster of state primaries are held.
In that race, the Bush campaign used some of the most despicable campaign tactics imaginable, such as accusing McCain of fathering 2 illegitimate black children out of wedlock. The Bush campaign used this tactic in South Carolina, a state where the confederate flag, a symbol of racism and segregation, still flies over the state capital building next to the American flag, where it was done for maximum effect.
McCain at the time said, "There will be a special place in hell reserved for the people who ran that type of smear campaign." After that campaign, McCain had earned the sympathy and respect of millions. However, as time went on over the next eight years, things began to change. McCain, along with the Bush administration, became the face of our ill-begotten war in Iraq.
In addition, he began to change many of his views that made him a maverick in the eyes of many. He changed his views on offshore oil drilling, immigration, and numerous other issues that began to conform in lock step with the ultra conservative wing of the Republican Party. And then when it came time to pick a running mate for this election, he picked a person he met for the first time in his life.
Governor Sarah Palin [Images] is one of the many reasons John McCain lost this election. Initially, she made a splash in the political community. But the more you got to know her, the more you began to question John McCain's senses for picking her. The criticism of Palin is not because she is a woman. The criticism is born out of the obvious: She does not have the basic knowledge, intellectual curiosity, or judgment to be president.
And to this day, she has a hard time acknowledging the achievement of Barack Obama. And there in lies the difference between John McCain and Sarah Palin: class. It can be said that John McCain sold his soul to very people he despised to get himself elected. Before he crossed that line, he showed what made him an American hero, when he delivered his fantastic concession speech.
During the speech, the senator became visibly angry when his crowd of supporters kept booing at the mention of Barack Obama's name. By showing this type of class, McCain was able to save his soul by showing his true heroic colors. We have yet to see those colors in Sarah Palin; and I have four words for you: Don't hold your breath.
In the end, Barack Obama won because he inspired people to get involved and be a partner with him in bringing a change from the last 8 years. Personally, Obama has brought me to tears on occasion because for me he makes you believe we can and should do better than what we are doing now, that no challenge is too great and no obstacle is too high. That is something everyone should believe.
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