The Vindication of Hope

The 4th of November 2008 will forever go down as a pivotal moment in modern history, one we will undoubtedly be talking about for countless years to come, the day a man called Barack Hussein Obama was elected President of the United States of America. For the better part of two years the world has been glued to the political show that America has laid out and it has proved to be unquestionably the most followed presidential election in history. And at the core of the story is the incredible journey of a man who was barely known outside the American political arena just a year ago.

Keen political observers would have first noticed him at the 2004 Democratic convention for John Kerry’s failed presidential campaign, where he gave a rousing keynote speech, but to most it was merely an announcement of the arrival on the political scene of a bright young Illinois senator entering his first term. Those who had the foresight to view him as a future presidential candidate had him down for a 2016 campaign, with the baton for the Democratic Party resting firmly in the hands of Hillary Clinton. It is this which probably makes his victory all the more astonishing. The manner in which he prevailed against the dominant Democrat brand for the last sixteen years (Bill and Hillary) in the primaries was quite unbelievable. This was clearly a man walking on a path to his destiny, contrary to the opinions of political experts who largely felt that he was running too soon. It was at the start of the Primary race in January, when he won the Iowa caucuses, that Barack Obama came to international attention, setting him on his way to a drawn out and improbable victory against Clinton.

Amongst the biggest challenges of Obama’s presidential campaign lay in fears and misconceptions about his faith (apparently up to ten percent of Americans still believe, incorrectly, that he is Muslim), patriotism and completely unfounded links to terrorism. Pretty early in his campaign he had to respond to questions about his character and beliefs after shocking videos of his former pastor of more than twenty years, Jeremiah Wright, were run by the major television networks and posted all over the internet. This led to his speech - “A more perfect union” - which tackled race relations and politics in America. In truth I consider it unfortunate that Jeremiah Wright’s own legacy was sullied by the video clips, which were largely taken out of context, and subsequent comments he made during Obama’s campaign (He was, after all, a father figure to Obama and the man who led him to Christ, officiated at his wedding, and baptised his children).

These are the kind of challenges Obama has had to rise above in a well-run campaign, and in doing so he enabled Americans to rise above their prejudices, to judge the man solely on the content of his character, and not on his race or name. That said, it was little surprise that hardly any mention was made of his middle name by either party once the campaign got into full swing. As a testament to his charisma, and ability to see the funny side of what could easily have been a sensitive issue if handled incorrectly, he even joked at a recent gala dinner that whoever gave him his middle name clearly never thought that he was going to run for president, going on to say that it wasn’t actually what we thought it was – “It’s Steve.” Barack Steve Obama.

What we have witnessed has truly been a historic moment but this is even more significant for the American people. Pro-Obama rallies across the nation were unprecedented in their scale and numbers. In the recent past Presidential candidates depended on rock stars or Tinseltown celebrities to draw crowds to their events. Obama himself was the star attraction at his rallies. He was the only draw that he needed. As time went on, the numbers continued to increase, Americans cognizant of the fact that they were about to become part of a great moment in their country’s fabled history, and many who attended did so to be able to say to their kids that they were there. In the same way, many in the UK and around the world did not sleep a wink on election night, if only to witness history in the making. It didn’t take long for those who stayed up all night to watch the drama unfold to realise how much this victory means to the American people, and especially to African-Americans. Many of black and African roots across the globe can admire the man from afar, but seeing the tears of Jesse Jackson, Oprah Winfrey and everyone else in that Chicago crowd really summed up what his victory means to black America. Many were old enough to remember the times when they were segregated and not permitted to vote, as well as the ensuing civil rights movement. They remember the efforts of one preacher from Atlanta who had a dream, who was taken away from this world too soon to see that dream realised. These are things that many of us can only read about, but it is clear to see that America is a step closer to realising Martin Luther King's dream, if it is not there already!

In truth, however, the election night proved something of an anti-climax. Ever since the crisis in the financial markets deepened in mid-September Obama moved well ahead in the polls and never looked back. He seemed to handle the situation with far more assurance than his Republican opponent, Senator John McCain, who took the inexplicable step of temporarily suspending his campaign to help deal with the financial crisis (a move which ultimately backfired). Obama also appeared to have a clear advantage over McCain in all three presidential debates, but this alone would not have made the White House a certainty for him. Despite the fact that Alaska governor Sarah Palin gave her party a bounce in the polls when she was named as McCain’s running mate prior to the Republican Convention in August, a series of shocking gaffes in interviews the following month led many Independents and undecided voters to switch allegiance to the Obama/Biden bandwagon. She may have secured the evangelical Christian base for her party, but many argue that her lack of understanding of the important issues (such as foreign policy) and her inability to answer simple questions (such as which newspapers she reads to shape her world view), ultimately lost McCain this race. Even Matt Damon, star of the Bourne action series, was quoted as saying that the possibility of the self-acclaimed “hockey mum” from Alaska becoming President given McCain’s advanced years (he is 72) read like the script of a bad Disney movie! As such one could argue that by election night the result shouldn’t have been in doubt. But there was one nagging doubt lingering in the minds of many – would America really vote for a black man to be their President?

In the end, Obama received 364 electoral college votes in a landslide victory, much more than the 270 required to win the election. This was an incredible feat, especially given the fear of the dreaded "Bradley effect" – in which white voters, not wanting to appear racist in polls, claim that they would vote for the black candidate only to go on to do the opposite once they get into the booth. This phenomenon is named after Tom Bradley, a black candidate for the California governorship in 1982 who lost the race despite being well ahead in the polls. This was a victory for all of America and proof that they can rise above the racial divide. With this result they have proved that regardless of race, religion or creed, the country could come together to vote a black man with a funny name into the White House simply because he was the best candidate. In fact, many now argue that Obama benefited from a “reverse-Bradley effect”, where many conservative voters who may have been afraid to say they would eventually cast their votes for him.

In his victory speech Obama made it plain that he was never the likeliest of candidates for this office. It has been an incredible feat for him, and how he did it will surely be a case study for political campaigning for years to come! We should spare a thought for John McCain, who was very gracious in his concession speech, and would have made a fine President himself. He clearly loves his country, and having served it for the best part of half a century, would have deserved nothing less than to bow out at the top. But surely this is his last chance to do that, and he can now take a well-earned rest and reflect on his life of service and sacrifice.

Fans of the US television series 24 will excitedly tell you that the show was prophetic in presenting the idea of an African-American US President (twice), while followers of The West Wing will remind you that the writers of the show consulted David Axelrod (an Obama aide and eventually chief strategist for his campaign) and used Obama as a template for the Hispanic-American character that ran for President in the series long before Obama announced his actual candidacy. Obama then proceeded to run a campaign that had many similarities with the one that was depicted on the show. Talk about art imitating life only for life to imitate art back again! In a twist that would have been daring for any scriptwriter, it remains a shame that Obama’s grandmother, the woman who raised him, passed away the night before the elections and was unable to witness her grandson’s achievement, but it was great to see that he took time from the campaign trail to be with her before she passed. Throughout his campaign he showed himself to be a real family man, one who will present a great example for the First Family of the United States!

There is an interesting account in Obama’s book The Audacity of Hope, in which he talks to a media consultant in late September 2001 who tells him the political dynamics in America had changed, with the face of Osama Bin Laden sprawled across the front pages of the newspaper before them. They discuss his political future, given the uncanny similarity between his name and that of the terrorist who still haunts American dreams. Clearly, changing his name would arouse even more suspicion. Either way, things must have looked pretty bleak for him at that point so it must be considered a triumph for the American people that they have been able to look beyond all that to vote for the man who was simply the best candidate. The political dynamics in America and indeed the world certainly have changed forever.

All that said, let us join with the people of Chicago, the US, Kenya, and the rest of the world in celebrating the momentous occasion, but let us also temper our excitement with the reality that Obama has a tough task ahead of him. He will not be a perfect president so we must continue to pray for God's will to be done in his life, for his protection, and that of his family (he is set to become the most heavily guarded President in history), and that his presidency indeed makes the US, and the world, a better place for all!