Like many of you, I watched the debate last night and felt my chest rise with pride with every passing minute. Barack Obama stepped out on that stage with a huge weight on his shoulders. The weight of pre-conceived notions of weakness on foreign policy. The weight of knowing that a fair number of Americans view his very candidacy as an affront to all that is "good and right" about America. He also bore the weight of so many disenfranchised American's that just want this national nightmare to stop. And he bore the hopes and dreams of African-American men, women, children, African's in far-flung villages and cities across the globe, and of ancestors who only glimpsed the promised but never tasted it's fruit. That's quite a load. For anyone. But Barack Obama emerged on that stage and rose to the occasion in a way that I'm not sure we will fully grasp for awhile. He was strong, he was steady, he was clear. He had gravitas. He was ready. He looked like a championship boxer who had spent many days upon days hitting the weights and sparring until he couldn't stand any longer. His legs were strong, and he carried his weight.
But he's not done. Let's look ahead below the fold...
Hopefully he had a good rest on the stool last night because he has a rematch real soon. And we're not done - in fact, in many ways we are approaching what I believe is the hardest part of this campaign. Finishing Strong.
I'm not sure how many people really realize where we are this morning. Last night, Barack seemingly stepped through a door that until now he was only knocking on in the eyes of many American's - the door between a wistful dream and a manifested reality. I honestly think that last night, for the first time, many people saw Barack as not only an incredible candidate, but,potentially, the next President of the United States. This morning, those who were scared to hope now have a reason to not only hope, but believe.
We are right to celebrate, revel in our victory, and breathe a huge sigh of relief. But now the hard part begins. Long time ago, lol, I used to run track. I had a brutal track coach. One of my best events was the 200 m. If you're not familiar with that particular race, you start the race basically on the curve and end on the straightaway. For hours and hours my coach drilled me on coming out of the blocks strong, low at first, and gradually building through the curve. The key to running the curve was to watch your feet, stay in your lane, and build momentum and speed. You judge and feel the speed of others in the race. By the time you get to the straightaway, you should be hitting your stride, running straight up, eyes on the tape like a laser beam. I can still hear my coach yelling, "Run straight up - finish strong! What are you looking down at!" Barack has just cleared the curve and he's on the straightaway. It's time to finish strong.
As supporters of Barack, we are in this race as well. It's time to focus on the close. How do we do that? Here's my thoughts:
Focus on the tape at the finish line:
I'm not saying that we need to ignore our opponent, but the quickest way to lose a race is to spend too much time looking at who's running next to you. A good runner glances at his opponent just to get a quick snapshot of where they are but they focus on their race and they visualize going through the tape first. We can SEE victory, now! but it only comes through steady focus.
Do not relent:
This isn't relaxin' time - this is fightin' time! Barack has truly found his "fighting" voice in the last couple of weeks and he needs to keep jabbing. No letting up!
We need to lend our voices loud and proud:
While supporting Barack Obama has been easy, for some people, TALKING about their support of Barack openly has not. To all of the closet supporters of Barack, it's O.K. to come out now! Talk to your friends and neighbors. Go on and let your best friend know that, as they suspected, you ARE an Obama supporter. Go get your yard sign, your button, and your bumper sticker!! And if it really will make you feel better, go out in the front yard and yell "I support Barack Obama"!! Whatever you gotta do to find your voice and get comfortable with it, go do it!
And ESPECIALLY to my Evangelical Brothers and Sisters: You no longer need to feel like you are somehow disappointing God or anyone else by supporting Barack Obama. This man is WORTHY of our support!! Can't you feel it? As a Christian, I try to see things not only with my natural eyes but even more so from my "spiritual" eyes (remember, the things we see are temporal..) What I saw and felt last night was a dramatic spiritual "shift" as it related to Barack's candidacy. I felt God's strength surrounding Barack last night, and I saw a peace and an preparedness that, in my view, could have only come from heaven. And to that I say, Amen (so be it).
Stay Humble:
We must never lose sight that as a party we potentially have the privilege to serve our nation at one of the most critical times in our nation's history. One of the things I love about Barack Obama IS his humility. He gets that this is not about him. And we, as his supporters, need to understand it's not about us either. It's about this Country, our children, our friends and neighbors. As Obama continues to surge in the polls, which we all know he will do, let's remember to add a dash of humility when we celebrate. One of my favorite verses in the Bible is the one that says "Pride goes before the fall". Let's not fall.
Well, those are my thoughts. What a great night last night. What a beautiful, fresh, new day today.
What an amazing few weeks it will be.
Peace and Many Blessings,
Angeleyes