Beyond the historic importance of the election of the first African American president, I feel more hopeful today, more than I have in a long time, because of the message of unity coming from Obama. He has a tough job ahead of him, he is not perfect, he will make mistakes, but I feel that he is capable, smart, determined, disiplined, open minded, and most importantly he has something our last two presidents didn't have. A sense of humility. When he spoke, he included everyone in his victory, and he reached out to people who still aren't convinced, he said, "I need your help, I hear your voices, I will be your President too." A contrast from the "my way or the high way, go it alone" stance of the Bush Administration.
And I'm happy, because quite frankly I am tired of the divisive forces and negativity that has characterized the last few election cycles and the last administration. I'm tired of the way the Republican party derides higher education, they way they talk about "elitists" and the "liberal media" as being unamerican. The way they talk about "small town values" as if they are not only acceptable, but preferable to higher education. As if we can still be a super power while applauding mediocrity and ignorance. The Republican party has lost it's way in recent years. I just hope that they will realize that the American people are tired of this crap. I'd like to think that the results of this election show that we are capable of growing up and seeing beyond color and race, beyond cultural differences and realize that we all have much in common. That we all want security, prosperity and peace. And above all that we are a country that rewards merit. The culture wars that both parties have indulged in are petty and divisive and I'm pretty sure that's not what the founding fathers had in mind when they visualized the UNITED States of America.
NBC declared this morning that "Change has come to America"
It's good, it's time, and it will be fascinating to see.
