That was the last headline that my grandfather, a longtime columnist and editor for the Peoria Journal Star, came up with before he passed away in May, at the age of 90. Living in Springfield for the last few years of his life, he was an ardent Obama supporter, and a discussion of politics could invigorate him till the very end. With his memory failing, when asked by a nurse or doctor where he lived, "Obamaville" became his standard reply. A lifelong student and chronicler of America's story, he had a collection of newspaper front pages commemorating historic events, framed headlines announcing the sinking of the Titanic, the election of FDR, D-Day. He knew just how this latest chapter in our history should be announced to the world: "Obama, dot, dot, dot, Oh Baby!", he would say with a smile.
Growing up without a lot of money in an Irish Catholic family in Milwaukee, my grandfather developed a firm belief in the need for a just society, a country where your potential was not determined by the size of the house you were born in, or the school you went to, or the color of your skin. His hero was Abraham Lincoln, a man who rose to greatness from humble beginnings. He admired Lincoln's wisdom, honored his deep morality, and as a writer himself, marveled at his ability to take simple words and craft both insight and eloquence.
I think my grandfather saw reflections of these same qualities in Barack Obama, and for this reason, was able to develop such a strong connection with him, even as the weight of 90 years of memories increasingly began to crowd out the every day details of life. After my grandfather peacefully passed away just over five months ago, he was buried in Lincoln's cemetary, only a short distance from the man he so admired. And while I am sorry that he is not here today to finally see his eagerly awaited headline, I like to think that somewhere above a cemetary in Springfield, two of the men I have always admired most are sharing a sense of pride in what their country has done.