The election of Barack Obama is undoubtedly one of the most extraordinary events our generation has ever witnessed. It’s something we had never expected to see in our lifetimes, so remarkable that it’s difficult to reflect on without emotion. The end of eight years of Bush administrations, two years of relentless campaigning, and months of trepidation as we watched the Republican campaign degenerate has brought us to light. The better man has won. In spite of the tumultuous state of affairs that Obama will inherit, it seems, at least tonight, that things are as they should be.
Obama’s election is a symbolic event of astonishing magnitude. Four years ago, the rookie Senator from Illinois emerged on the strength of his intelligence, political merit, and charisma. It can’t be overstated: he was born less than a century after the Thirteenth Amendment was passed, and saw the Voting Rights Act signed during his childhood. Over the next four years, we’ll see whether his actions as president raise the incredible nature of his election beyond the symbolic.
We know that Obama will inherit a tremendous mess. He’s run an inspiring campaign, with capable people at his side, but whether or not he can repair the nation’s failures is uncertain. He takes over a country trillions of dollars in debt and facing, as Obama has stated, arguably the worst economic crisis of the last century. Despite his experience as a community organizer, minority rights and living standards can hardly be a priority at this time. His populist tendencies, his diverse and hopeful constituency, and his onetime statement regarding NAFTA renegotiation are encouraging. If anyone can convince a sceptical nation of the value of progressive thinking, Obama seems to be it, and his diplomacy, in addition to his ethnic background, will be a tonic for America’s ailing international reputation. But his rhetoric, however inspiring, will be difficult to realize—even if he keeps his promises, they may be insufficient.
Questions aside, Obama’s awesome achievement, the American people’s renewed optimism as evidenced by record voting turnouts, and the overwhelming hope springing from this event should inspire us Canadians, who witnessed our own excuse for a viable progressive party suffer a crushing blow not three weeks ago. Our pitiful approach to climate change has already embarrassed us on the world stage, and our government is too far to the right for comfort. Canada will now be following Barack Obama’s lead, and Harper’s initiatives will be tempered by his decisions, for better or for worse. This pair of elections was a stark reminder that Canada is not—never was—the progressive haven we (and so many disenchanted Americans) imagined it to be. But this exhausting election season has finally come to an end, and we can look to the future with much more hope than we had in the beginning.
