I haven't heard such a stirring oration since Michael Douglas portrayed an embattled re-electionist in the movie "The American President". Whether or not Mr. Obama's vision will be realized should he take on the post come November is something that would have to be left to the course of history. But being the first African-American presidential nominee is already quite a cinematic historical moment.
Would he be able to have his cake and eat it too?
Obama touched on the legacy of past Democrat presidents citing Franklin Roosevelt and Kennedy in his speech and urging on the audience to bring back the "American dream". Towards the last part of his speech however, Obama drew on his roots as an African-American, not naming the "preacher" he spoke of but obviously referring to Martin Luther King Jr. in his famous "I have a dream" speech.
Definitely the battlecry of the Democrats in this election is change. Mr. Obama himself personifies such a huge change in American politics, one cannot wonder just how ready America is to embrace this change. Once such a segregated nation in terms of its history with blacks, will America now embrace a man of color over another 4 years of what is perceived by some as a lackluster 8 years of Republican rule.
Skin color aside, Mr. Obama boasts of a record that is impressive enough for a relatively young achiever in public service. In his acceptance speech, he identified with the average American's struggles, even drawing on his familial experiences, as his motivation to pursue the highest post of public office. He promises to change so many things from the withdrawal of US troops from Iraq to tax cuts for 95% of American workers, to an aggressive environmental policy. He even categorically declared to end America's dependence on Middle Eastern oil within a decade.
There are of course other issues other than color in this elections but for now, the Obama saga continues. Will the promise of change convince enough Americans to look beyond deeply rooted racial bias and vote for a young candidate of African-American descent?
We'll know the answer this November.
Here is an excerpt from Mr. Obama's acceptance speech:
"I know there are those who dismiss such beliefs as happy talk. They claim that our insistence on something larger, something firmer, and more honest in our public life is just a Trojan horse for higher taxes and the abandonment of traditional values. That's to be expected, because if you don't have any fresh ideas, then you use stale tactics to scare voters.For a complete transcript of Barrack Obama's speech visit the NYTimes.com.If you don't have a record to run on, then you paint your opponent as someone people should run from. You make a big election about small things."
