After watching the C-SPAN coverage of the final day of the DNC convention last night, I was profoundly moved by the presentation and the content and the sense of purpose of a historical movement that has bubbled up and coalesced around one man."Welcome to the future," Obama seemed to say. Here it is. At long last. Enjoy it.
It was fitting to schedule it on the anniversary of Martin Luther King, Jr.'s great speech. The dream, deferred no longer, is being realized. Success comes when audacious hopes become everyday realities. So it was, that the chants of "Yes We Can!" melded with the chants of "Obama!" and "U-S-A!" And the historical, spiritual and existential significance of the moment was not lost on the audience. Tears were in the eyes of many. With a black candidate exploding onto the scene and into the collective consciousness, the fireworks were appropriate.
But I couldn't help but notice just how bold, just how refreshing and reinvigorating it was to see a massive crowd coming together to pay homage to not just to a new candidate -- but to a new set of ideas, a new set of priorities, a new culture.
For the first time ever, Americans saw a black family that was accomplished, educated, loving, and poised to enter the highest institution of public leadership in the nation. The Obamas seemed to be saying: forget the division, forget the stalemates, forget the disillusionment. When we find common ground, we can move in the right direction. Everything else is a waste. They said, "Here's what race looks like in America in the 21st century."
But it wasn't just about race -- it was about gender. Obama had to acknowledge the gargantuan presence of Hillary Clinton, the symbol of a movement nearly as large as his during the primary. He tried to ease the fears and show that he really does champion her issues, he really does have the spine to stand up for principle, he really does have the passion to fight Republican opponents. And in his private life, surrounded by strong women, Obama really is a feminist at heart. His wife is his rock and his best friend, his daughters are his emotional attachment, and his mother was the chief sculptor of his character. I believe feminism is really about convincing men to listen to women, and in that regard, Obama seemed to say, "This is what a modern man looks like."
And to cap it all off with a final benediction that was Christian in tone but universalist in message and overtly tolerant in orchestration, last night seemed to say, "This is what religion looks like in the 21st century." Amen.
It makes me proud to see this all first hand and know that so much good is possible. The future looks bright to me.
