Why do I love Obama more now that he's been elected? I grumbled as I voted for him, reminding everyone who asked about his stupid plan to continue Bush's faith-based social services programs. How he called the labor movement a special interest group (I was eating when I heard that and I choked - Obama almost killed me!). How he was such a better candidate when Hillary was still running and that, as a socialist, I'm worried that on Super Tuesday he was playing me for a fool (I saw through rich-white-guy Edwards, why didn't I see through him?).
But now? The sound of his name makes my heart go pitter-pat. I guess it's because I'm seeing him bring out such a change in my fellow Americans. Everyone's so excited and child-like (in a good way). It's as though collectively our brown eyes have been turned blue. I haven't been proud of my country in YEARS. Have I ever been proud? Come to think of it, I remember carrying my shame with me to Ireland in 1995, during the Clinton years. And then came the tragedy of Bush. So...I guess no.
But one day of President-elect Obama has done more for the Malawians I know than all of my time here to really drive home the point that Africans are good, just as good as Americans (or, more accurately, how good they believe Americans to be). People are running around here, literally taking victory laps! They are so excited - how can I maintain my snarky veneer in the face of that?
Is it a collective high? Should I be suspicious rather than giddy?
Some of my friends in the U.S. have been really sad lately, and Obama's election has made them smile for the first time in a while. That alone is enough for me.
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Isn't it great? I mean, this thing has managed to get through all of our defense mechanisms and touch us very deeply. It's gotta be for real, I think. What else could have made it past all of our sadness and cynicism and pain? I think you and I have been around the block too many times to be fooled by anything less than the real deal. And you know what? Obama might disappoint us in some ways. He is only human, after all, and he is working in an imperfect system. We must accept that there will be shortcomings and disappointments. But I will hold on to the light that his election shed onto my life for a very, very long time.
God, I'm such a sap! When did *that* happen?
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