[Photo courtesy of apsies/flickr]
We were wrong about Barack Obama. So wrong. And, we’ve never been happier in our increasingly long life to have been so incorrect about something so important. Last night, we saw history and a moment of true transformation. One would have had to have had a heart of cold steel not to be moved by Mr. Obama’s victory speech.
Back in the winter, we sat at a noodle bar on the Lower East Side bloviating at length about how New Yorkers just didn’t understand. America is not New York and certainly not Park Slope and there was no way this Obama guy could win in November. Some very nice people who own Prospect Perk in Prospect Heights were among those who listened to our moronic and (thank you, God) misinformed rant. We said Obama was too young and inexperienced. We held forth on how America was too racist a country to elect an African-American man as President. We said Hillary Clinton HAD to be the nominee because she was the only Democrat that could win in November and defeating the Republicans and ending the GOP scourge was priority number one.
Last night, we cried like a baby when Barack Obama was declared the winner of the election. We are not embarrassed to admit this nor to declare that we so badly misjudged the outcome of this race. We are grateful to have been alive to see one of the greatest events in American history take place. Truly, there are only one or two such events that one is privileged to see one’s lifetime. We were in Berlin in November 9 and 10, 1989 when Communism began to die. We stood on the Wall with tears in our eyes and joy in our hearts. Now, we’ve seen Barack Obama–a man who has the capacity to be one of the greatest transformational leaders in American history if he lives up to his potential for leadership–be elected President. We believe we have now filled our lifetime quota and are profoundly grateful to have made it this far. Awful events in history are always easy to witness–calamities, natural disasters, wars, slaughters like 9/11, the rise to power of monsters like Hitler, the victories of evil men like Richard Nixon and on and on and on.
We do not believe that America has suddenly overcome centuries of racism, but we do believe that for one brief shining moment, many of us were able to ignore the tone of a person’s skin and vote for the man who has the capacity to provide the leadership and vision to guide us through a very challenging time. We remember walking down Connecticut Avenue in Washington after Ronald Reagan had won the election in 1980 and feeling like the world had ended. As many days as we have left on this earth, we will remember walking down Third Avenue in Gowanus last night giddy with the feeling that America has a chance for a genuinely new beginning.
May the Gods of everyeone’s understanding be with you Mr. Obama. And, thank you God, for proving us to be such misguided idiots in not having an early faith in Mr. Obama’s God-given talent for leadership. This is one of the only times in life we’re thrilled to be so damned wrong.
We were idiots and we’re so glad we were!
8 responses so far ↓
1 Matt // Nov 5, 2008 at 11:45 am
I bet a friend in January $50 that Obama would win the election…I can’t wait to collect!
2 Bobby // Nov 5, 2008 at 11:48 am
Why do you refer to yourself as we?
3 the dude // Nov 5, 2008 at 12:37 pm
it’s the royal we, the editorial we, man … you know?
4 Brenda from Flatbush // Nov 5, 2008 at 1:00 pm
The world didn’t end after Reagan won, but the Wall did fall, and the two events were not unrelated. (Tweak!) Unlike Reagan, Obama is burdened with mythically high expectations and the smoking ruins of our foreign and our economic policies. He will need that Superman regalia in which he has been depicted on walls around our town. He will need our prayers, too; he has mine.
5 Ron // Nov 6, 2008 at 1:40 am
Your celebratory walk down Gowanas’ third ave corresponded with ours down Miguelito Rd in San Jose, CA. As difficult and exhausting as was Obama’s 2 year campaign, it was a cakewalk compared to the task of repairing the damage done by W over the past 8 years. But last evening was a good beginning.
6 Harris // Nov 6, 2008 at 10:17 am
As a pre-Iowa Obama supporter, I had countless arguments with Clinton supporters who made similar assertions about America’s inherent racism and my alleged naivete about Obama’s electoral chances.
I think, all Americans – particularly New Yorkers who consider themselves more enlightened than those in the “red states” – could benefit from talking with people who share different political views than their own. Often times, we are subscribing to the very same narrow-mindedness we are accusing in the other side.
7 Jack // Nov 6, 2008 at 11:38 am
“The world didn’t end after Reagan won, but the Wall did fall, and the two events were not unrelated.”
Yes, they were unrelated. The Soviet economy was falling apart for years prior to Reagan. It is only a coincidence that Reagan was in office when he famously said “Tear down this wall…”
“Unlike Reagan, Obama is burdened with mythically high expectations…”
Unlike Reagan the whole world is behind Obama.
“He will need our prayers, too; he has mine.”
Sorry for the tone of this, but you know I’m sick of people not acknowledging the main factor Obama succeeded: HARD WORK.
No offense to religious beliefs of anyone but he doesn’t need prayer. He needs real people getting off their asses and doing what needs to be done. Seriously, how do you think he got elected? By people not doing work? He mobilized an army of people of all races, creeds, religions and even political beliefs to rally around him.
You want change? Pray after you’ve done work.
8 SuzyO // Nov 6, 2008 at 9:51 pm
Thanks, GL – that was lovely.