Well, no sooner do I - from afar - claim that this was a good campaign between honorable men then I get a few pointed e.mails (as always, from each side of the aisle) that declare how it was NOT a good campaign, etc. That, in reality, the other guy has horns and carries a pitchfork.......
Well, I guess being far away from the campaign has advantages, then.
Anyway, I can say a few things that personally reflect my views:
- It will be a new opportunity for America to be seen in a better light from the other countries of the world where our reputation has been tarnished in recent years. And, yes, this is important.
- Obama was an expat as a child. We hope that the current experience will benefit our children as adults, so we will watch with special interest how he interacts with the rest of the world. It promises to be vastly better set of interactions than what we've had, so there's nothing but upside here.
- It will be nice to hear consistently from someone of eloquence for the first time in a *long* time.
- It is a remarkable country that can confront its racial past and move to a place where we can have a black President. I have always maintained that when Alan Keyes beat Bob Dole in Minnesota (of all places!) during the 1996 Republican primary, the writing was on the wall - we can, in fact, judge someone by the content of their character, not the color of their skin.
In some ways, this is the fruition of MLK's speech that inspires all Americans. Perhaps the mountain top is a little more clear today.
- On the other hand, I have as of yet never seen such adoration placed on a President. I think it can be risky to hold someone in such high esteem, as we have seen, right? I wonder if there will be as much critical thought in the next four years - that is what a democracy needs to thrive. Time will tell. One of my friends from college says that he is troubled by so many of our friends "...doing the Dear Leader thing."
I spent countless hours in political debate with a good friend back in Charlotte, and I once posed him the following question about George Bush - "Is there a single Bush policy, idea, statement, or action that you absolutely disapprove of?" He couldn't come up with anything and asked for time to find one (it's been three years now). So, I worry a bit that the inverse is coming from the left over the next four years.
Again, we'll see.
Wherever you fall on the political spectrum, however your hopes and/or disappointments are manifested or co-mingled today, and how ever you feel about what is ahead for America - I think we can all feel proud as Americans today that something exceptional has happened, and that thing says a great deal about the ultimate character of our people.
Anyway - this blog can get back to being about life in India now. Tara was in the crowd who attended the election coverage at the Novotel Hotel this morning. She will be in the papers tomorrow, hope some of it will be online for you to see.
Best to all!
