Preamble:
I'm back to my blogging ways and in order for me to attain the kind of cathartic feeling I get from scribing my ideas onto this canvas I have to start writing with regularity again. I'm recommitting myself to the Without Any Further Shenanigans. I want to apologize to my blog and to those who care for my entries for leaving it bare for a few months as I was immersed in moiling over academic responsibilities which I'm relieved to say will not be a priority for an entire month. Enough of my conciliatory thoughts towards my blog and on to my first entry in a long time. Albeit the celebration of Barack Obama's victory in the presidential race took place over a month ago, I felt that I would be remiss had I not recorded something in my blog that details my thoughts and feelings about his triumph in the most historic race ever to surface in America.
November 4th, 2008........... I never thought the race would conclude as decisive as it did with Obama prevailing over McCain in a rout. Seeing historically Red states turn blue over the course of that evening was shocking and very telling. When all of the news affiliates had announced that Obama won Pennsylvania and that it was corroborated that he would be the 44th President of these United States, I sat there aghast. I absolutely did not know what to do. I was overcome with so much emotion that ironically, if someone had seen me they would've described me as emotionless. I just sat there in front of the television and raptly listened to Barack rhapsodize once more at Grant Park in front of an innumerable amount of people and give one of his touted ornately constructed and eloquent oratories that seemed to inspire me every single time that he delivered a speech. I thought that Barack Obama's victory speech was the best orated rhetoric that I had ever heard in my life. And I think for the generation that I am apart of that it was comparable to that of Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech; though not in nature, objective or reason, but rather in the historical implications and its ability to galvanize and inspire many with verats about the potential, journey, ability, potency, freedoms, privileges, and imploring of America and its citizens. I will never, ever, forget it. And let me say that my favorite part of his speech was when Obama professed that Malia and Natasha (who's moniker is Sasha) will be receiving a new puppy subsequent to the family's emigration to the White House. Who cares about the 14th century hand-woven tapestries that are overlain on the White House floors? It's time to bring the first dog (excuse the pun) into the White House and if the carpet gets messed up, then I'm sure Malia and Sasha will learn new values of responsibility and chores. After watching his victory speech, I ran to Franklin street in Chapel Hill and met about two thousand other people who throngged the street and there was bedlam all night.
Why did Barack Obama win? I think the nature of the presidential election and recent history of America had more to do with McCain's lost than his gregarious opponent in Barack Obama. It would not be presumptuous to say that the democratic constituencies were undoubtedly going to vote for Barack. But why did American citizens who voted historically Republican vote for Barack Obama? And how did Obama swing centrists? The facts that this country's economic stature was driven into the mire, the country insufferably endured through two wars in spite of widespread national apprehension at embracing both wars, an education system that was gradually descending into the nadir of failure, gas prices that went from relatively frugal to unbelievably high pricing (and still going up), and a health care system that leaves America naked and showered with shame when compared to that of other countries who provide free health care for all its citizens, all occurred on the watch of a House and Senate that was laden with Republicans. It also did not help that the current President, while Republican, was the most asinine and incapable leader this country has ever witnessed. Obama's ploy within his campaign to paint John McCain as the second coming of Bush was a potent tactic, and while it may not have resonated with those who are politically versed because in many ways John McCain differs from George W. Bush, it did enough to convince those who are not as informed via commercials and ads. More importantly, I think many saw Barack Obama as the antithesis of George W. Bush and found an incredible profound hope in Barack Obama that was invoked by the morbid position this country is in.
I hate to undermine the American people, but I contend that while the issues of the economy, war, education, and health care were vital and prudent to the voting of the American people, I think the character of both candidates played more of an important role in the minds of voters. There are many people in this country who don't canvass the ideas of the politicians, or watch every political debate, or spend a sufficient amount of time evaluating the plans and potential policies of both candidates in an effort to discern which one of the two was more qualified to lead this country out of the socio-economic turmoil it finds itself in. From my vantage point, I saw a figure in John McCain who was uncouth in appearance and who's age did very little to aid his campaign. I think many voters created a nexus between his age and his policies in that they both were old and of the political ilk and socio-economic ideologies of yesteryear. Opposite John McCain you had Barack Obama, a handsome man who looked physically fit and nimble, and whose dexterity was epitomized with his exercise and leisurely physically engaging activity regiments including jogging and playing basketball. Outside of appearance and health, Barack Obama's rhetoric was like music to an idealist’s ear in that it attended to and resonated with typified ideas of hope and progressive ideas that many have thought that an American politician would never embrace because it was deemed political suicide. Barack Obama seemed extremely pensive, educated, driven, and probably most importantly, eloquently articulate. Not only was his oratorical ability unique and energized people, but it was rife with ideas that consistently remained prudent to the task at the potential 44th President's and America's hand, and also touched the minds and hearts of people on a level that was uncanny and unfathomable. Subsequent to the deliverance of his speeches, every news affiliate that I watched spent hours discussing his ability to speak, while in awe.
John McCain's choice to appoint Sarah Palin as his potential Vice President was the poorest choice he could have possibly made. It was blatantly clear that he only selected her to vie for Hillary Clinton votes and that was a political ploy that probably left many of his base to balk at continuing to support him. That tactic was deceitful and it epitomized political ploys of the past that many American people were tired of witnessing. She was clearly unqualified for the position and the McCain campaign team's hyper-surveillance of her only conveyed to voters that she was being controlled for the sake of the campaign and that stymied the duration of McCain's campaign.
You cannot underscore the effectiveness of Barack Obama's campaign, which was probably the most seminal political campaign America has ever seen. He spawned the best Grass Roots campaign in America's political history. The Obama team planted seeds in an innumerable amount of local communities and college campuses. Those seeds began to germinate and spread their Obama-advocacy stems into their respective communities which led to the historic amount of subsidies ever raised to aid a campaign. McCain's team put themselves at an extreme disadvantage with their scant use of technology opposed to Obama's team which utilized technology to disseminate information about Obama and gradually began to pervade the computers of people and even video games. Barack Obama purchased ads that would be shown in video games. How shrewd is that? Lastly, I think the generation that I am apart of is what catapulted Barack Obama into the White House. Because of the subject matter collegiate students and graduate students are learning regarding political and socio-economic ideologies in academic milieus, it is fair to say that this new generation is prohibitively progressive and that the idealist rhetoric of Obama easily energized the hope in young people that lay dormant because it was difficult to believe that this country could move in such a direction.
I had never immersed myself in the tidings of the history of this country as it pertained to race, class and gender until I got to college. I began to feverishly read and engage in discussion about race, class, and gender after only learning and understanding very few things about socio-economic history in America as my study of the subject was nascent. However, after engaging in so much critical thought and perusing through book after journal after article, my understanding of race relations led to me to believe that the hegemonic institutions of race, class and gender left an indelible mark on this country and the day that we would see an attempt to remove the stain was hundreds of years ahead of us. However, the campaigns of both Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama inspired me to have new faith and hope in the ability of America to progress. I have had a few debates about how Obama's victory would and should affect the socio-economic mobility of people of color. I've been told that in no way should we be disillusioned and believe that just because the White House will house its first African American president that the hegemonic societal institutions through race, class, and gender that subjugate people of color and women will not cease to exist and that we should remain cognizant of those issues and preserve our perspective of them. I completely agree with that. However, I do believe that we should take that same amount of hope that we so feverishly invested in Obama and pour it into believing that we should no longer be socially and economically stymied by them. While there are societal institutions that may impede our social mobility, we should remain inspired and encouraged by Obama's victory to persevere and give our most valiant efforts to be successful in spite of those hindrances and not rely on excuses to justify our discontinuation of trying to achieve. Barack Obama's victory was a monumental victory for people of color and especially for African Americans and that shall forever be a muse for many. So instead of socially conscious parents raising their children and solely warning them about what may be unfair on their journey, we should supplement those implores with ideas of hope and encouragement while using Barack Obama as the quintessential example.
So now that he has won, we will all be looking forward to what Chuck D so aptly coined as, "Day 2". This country is in a pathetic position considering its wealth and intrinsic freedoms and privileges its decrees provide. Barack Obama will now have the hardest job in America and he has earned it. I am hoping the amount of participation that was so palpable during his campaign remains alive during his presidency, especially with things such as petitioning for an energy independent country where the masses of people will turn in their gas guzzling vehicles in favor of electric cars and we will consciously cease to use environmentally damaging products. Barack Obama should not be given the weight of the world because the quandaries that this country is facing cannot be fixed with the kind of expediency that many are hoping for. I hope that people are patient. According to this article, Obama is constructing his constituency with primarily centrist to right-winged politicians which has, needless to say, left democrats and leftists confused and irate. I'm indifferent towards his selection and that's because I have faith that Obama is seeking the best minds to address the needs of this country and will assemble a team that will weave a new fabric into the flag of America.
Parting Thoughts:
1. Since I'm on break, I can finally get back into reading. I'm beginning with Walter Mosley's, "The Man in My Basement". I hope its good. The abstract made it seemed interesting.
2. I'm dissapointed with 808's & Heartbreaks. I don't really care that the he used auto-tune throughout the entire album. What upsets me is that this album does not give you the vintage Kanye. In past albums, we are used to hearing Kanye cleverly address different topics through his lyrics and in 808's & Heatbreak, there is only one subject he raps (or sings if you want to be technical) about: heartbreak. The album is cool but I think its unfair to the fans for us to have waited over a year for a new Kanye album and he gives us a 12 track auto-tuned indignant album about a woman. It's understandable that the man is hurt, but an entire album inspired by her just gives her more energy and exposure in my opinion. But if this album is helping him alleviate the pain, then fine.
3. Why is that everytime I turn to TLC, they are showing water births? And why is the woman who is birthing the child always obese? I turn to the channel and some woman is in some disgusting tub looking orgasmic while two other women are sitting there with their hands waiting for something to pop out. Get some new content TLC!
4. Barack Obama wins, and B.E.T. gets worse. Why am I not surprised?
5. Aaron McGruder's new online comedy series is funny as hell. My respect for AM has reached new heights.
6. Make the music with your mouth, Bizzzz
Oh yeah,
Black Prez.
