More Than Race Won The Race
and More than Hope will Make the Change
There is no question that it is a very big deal that we have our "first
black president". But Obama is actually mixed race (he calls himself a
"mutt"), and that seems to be overlooked lately. While the media harps
understandably but wrongheadedly on Obama's phenotype, conservative
bigots are already tired of having it repeated in their ears. They
deserve to hear it of course, but it isn't helping heal the divide.
In the meantime the real story is getting lost: record turnout by
people who want real change, not just in the policies of government, but
in the temperament of their leaders. Notice how well disciplined
Obama's campaign was. Notice how little negative campaigning he did.
Notice how calm he remained. Notice how his campaign focused on small
"d" democracy instead of big "d" Democratic Party.
It was a watershed moment in American politics on far more levels than
race. The fact that it took a worthy all-American mutt with simple yet
real integrity to show us how to take the high road to the White House
is a bigger and deeper story to be explored and enjoyed for decades to come.
But as the elation already begins to subside, we should remember that
belief in Obama's style and principles will now be severely tested. It
is the only thing that will carry us through what will certainly be a
difficult first term. Far too many bought into his image as Messiah,
and far too many will expect him to make all the problems go away in
very short order. He still needs our help.
As soon as the honeymoon period is over, there will be real and
difficult work to do to transition our country at so many levels. After
all, Obama will be the first president who regularly included the
admonishment for American parents to become more responsible and "turn
off the TV" in his campaign speeches. Bush told us to go shopping when
the chips were down; Obama expects us to grow up. It sounded reasonable
and wise, but how will it play when we have to follow-through?
Mainstream media, so fawningly favorable now, will be likely to turn on
him within six months. That is what they do; they manufacture and feed
on controversy in the same way plants photosynthesize their sustenance from
air, water and sunlight.
And Americans are spoiled and impatient. This
is a country in which recent generations have been raised on 75% fast
food diets. Kids are not allowed to get papers with -4, they must get
+96. Losers are listed in little league brackets as "non-winners", and
couch potato has been elevated to the status of sport instead of a what
it really is, shameful indolence. The new level of maturity Obama's
Change will require will be a bitter adjustment for many.
Hold on America, the best is yet to come. But there will be a cost that
many will not want to pay, and it will get ugly before it gets pretty
again.
One theory of group dynamics is that whenever a new team comes together
it goes through four phases: forming, storming, norming and performing.
Forming is the hopeful phase, storming is the tough phase, norming is
the boring phase and performing is the productive phase. The bigger and
more diverse the group, the longer it takes to traverse this process.
And the US government and all it's people is a HUGE group.
But as long as we all have faith, patience and self-discipline, we'll
get there. We proved that we can do our part to vote for change; in the
years ahead we must commit to the harder work of embracing our
responsibility to recast that vote every single day. A good leader is a
good start, but it is still up to us.