Change For A Nickel

Four years ago George W. Bush was elected for a second term. I remember waking up that Wednesday morning in November to the news. I remember crying and felt a distinct streak of despair run through my body. But there was one glimmer of hope for me that day. In that same election Illinois elected Barack Obama to the US Senate. I heard on the radio that he would be at Union station greeting commuters that morning on their way to work. I jumped in my clothes and made a bee line to the station to see this man and shake his hand.

Four years later Barack Obama is running for President of the United States! Who would have thought it?! His rise in the Democratic Party is exciting but more importantly I have seen a phenomenon that I have not seen even when Bill Clinton was running for President and MTV was Rocking the Vote! I have seen all kinds of people rally around Barack Obama, young, old, black, white, Latino, straight, gay, progressives, moderates and yes, even some conservatives. Regardless of what you or I may think about him and his resume, it is an undeniable fact that this candidate has gained popular appeal to a cross section of the American public and has brought many more into the process. For me, he has the potential of being a unifying leader.

I am not so naive as to think it will be Kumbaya if he gets elected. But if the momentum continues he has the potential to squelch some of those divisive voices and become the leader that we are desperately seeking. I’ve known of Obama for years before he ran for Senator but when I heard his speech during the Democratic national convention that sealed it for me. I was hooked. I really hope Barack wins the Democratic nomination. But even if he doesn’t the result is still exciting. More people are taking ownership of their government. Because it is not George Bush’s. It will not be Hillary Clinton’s, John McCain’s, Mitt Romney’s or even Barack Obama’s government. It is OUR government. They work for us and the only way they are going to realize that is if people are part of the process.