It's over: all the campaigning; all the politicking; all the debating; all the suspense. We have decided our next president. We are all witnesses of the day when Americans left their stereotypes and prejudices at the door and elected a man who epitomizes America's representation of a melting pot. We elected an African-American man with Kenyan roots who attended an elementary school in Indonesia. We elected a man who fought for civil rights, low-income families and struggling Americans. We elected a man who is the true product of the American dream. Sen. Barack Hussein Obama (D-Ill.), the harbinger of hope and change, has been elected the next president of the United States of America.
Gazing into the television Tuesday night with my friends, I realized the importance of the outcome of this election when Obama defiantly approached the platform in the Windy City. I realized, amid the 'Yes We Can' and 'No We Can't' bar chants, that the political significance of this election had, for a few moments, dissipated and the historic importance reigned supreme. Nov. 4, 2008 will be remembered as a loss for Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) and Gov. Sarah Palin (R-Alaska) but it will forever be remembered as a victory for the African-American civil rights movement and America's triumph over racism in a presidential election. Figures like Congressman John Lewis (D-Ga.) and Reverend Jesse Jackson know the significance of this election and the success it means to their lifelong efforts. Obama's victory will be immortalized in history books and political science journals while students will chronicle the African-American civil rights movements from the start of the American Civil War in 1861 to the election of a African-American man to the presidency.
My Republican friends may not like the tone of this column. And rightly so-I supported John McCain for this election. However, I, as an American, have accepted the fact that McCain lost and Obama won. I have accepted the truth that there is a Democratic majority in the House of Representatives and the Senate. I have also accepted the reality that government will take a larger role in American lives for the next four years. As a patriotic American, I embrace these realities and truths because I know that harping about the past is counterproductive and undermines the very tenets that America was founded on. What I must articulate is that Republicans must reform and revolutionize their party. They must reshape their brand, their image and their message. True progress in Washington is contingent on the future relationships between Republicans and Democrats and we need more politicians, like McCain, who will cross that party line and do what is right for America.
Just as the birth of a baby is exciting and memorable, so is the birth of new political leadership-whether you supported the victor or not. I support Barack Obama. I support him now more than ever because he is our next commander in chief. He is the next representative of the greatest country in the world-a daunting task taken on only by few. I support Barack Obama because he will maintain America as that 'beacon of light' he so often spoke about. I support Barack Obama because I know that petty, partisan politics only divides the country that I love. I support politicians like John McCain and Joe Lieberman who put party affiliations aside to pass bipartisan legislation that betters America and its citizens.
Whether you like Obama's policies or not, his extensive credentials and devoted service to Americans deserve great praise. Obama's dedication will echo into the next four years of his administration and he will be observed critically and closely by the entire world. Unfortunately, the result of this election is still raw and tender as Americans may still resort to partisan deliberations and overlook the monumental events that just came to pass. I urge all Americans to look past the politics and support our new leader who needs our loyalty and encouragement because we all know that a nation divided cannot overcome problems at home and abroad. And so, this charismatic, young man was asked if America has the ability to defeat its enemies, put aside its differences, and solve its problems, Barack Obama defiantly told the world: 'Yes We Can.'
