Wednesday, November 5, 2008

Obamarama

My friend James found himself in Cincinnati this fall, working on the Obama campaign and working to get people to the polls.

He sent us a message telling us that Obama is the closet thing to a political movement we have had in many years (kind of sad, kind of scary, kind of good). This campaign has been pretty unbelievable. Everyone from fashion designers showing their support by creating designs that support Obama, to Oprah Winfrey and other celebrities, to Facebook and social networking. It was a campaign that showed that the old ways of campaigning no longer work. That a big wardrobe budget will not win you votes. That text messaging is a tool to reach the masses. That you need more than to show your political stripes, get talked up by your partisan friends and rely on the votes your party has gotten for years. You need to be a visionary and a leader. You need to have the ability to pull Americans from every colour, every creed, every background together and show the world that we can change.

James said this nation, continent, world really needs something to rally behind.

America has found it. And it's not just something for them. It is something for all of us. Something that, during this time of economic turmoil, conflict and uncertainty, the world can believe in.

People have blamed our generation for being apathetic and this American election proved otherwise. We just haven't had a leader we could rally behind. This changes everything. Our grandparents saw so much advancement in society. Airplanes, telephones and televisions, the Internet, the vote for women, the fight for human rights. I'm proud to be part of the generation that saw the election of the first African-American President of the United States of America. Not elected for the colour of his skin, but for the reason that he has the ability to bring everyone together.

Obama's amazing, inspirational, very Presidential, victory speech from last night.




Why can't Canada find a leader like this?

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