Everyone’s been talking about the US presidential election, and how the president-elect Barack Obama, first black president is likely to be assassinated. I hope to God it doesn’t happen, it would be a huge blow to the US as well as to humanity in general. My thought is that if those parties against a black president had any real power they would have succeeded before the election. From now on, the man’s colour will be secondary to his policies and what he stands for politically.
As much as everyone loves to hate the idea of the US as a global leader, this election has probably had an unprecedented level of interest across the world. Firstly, because of the US role in the current “global financial crisis” (that phrase is becoming very tired), secondly I think because of the humanity issues of a black US president. How different perhaps, if Hilary Clinton had beaten Obama in the preliminaries and we were seeing the first female US president. It would have been a step forward for feminism I guess, but perhaps it is right that we confront issues of race before gender.
It is an interesting time indeed, and you can only admire the qualities of leadership that have so far been demonstrated by both candidates for the US presidency. Not that I personally followed their campaigns very closely, I remember the stoush between Clinton and Obama, and some rubbish about opponent McCain’s running mate Palin. What has impressed me I guess are the post-election speeches of both candidates, the graciousness extended towards each other’s opponent.
Something else I noticed as each made his speech and mentioned the other, Obama’s supporters actually cheered, while McCain’s supporters booed and catcalled. What does this say about the different political parties? Would each group’s behaviour have been the same if the outcome had been different? Perhaps there is generosity in victory, and meanness in defeat.