Ruminating Out Loud

Time has a photo-essay entitled “Obama’s Nation of Hope” by Christopher Morris. The following photograph grabbed my attention. In one simple image the transcendental ideal that is America is shown being breathed into life from a historical giant, Abraham Lincoln, to a boy who firmly retains his balance while gazing higher up; the continuity of perfection of the union goes on with great promise and a new birth of freedom and a new beginning.

Mightier than the sword

A website is born, “dedicated to President-elect Obama’s national call to service” In a true Obama-fashion and much like other websites they created during the presidential campaign, this one is intended to serve as a central hub for the coming together of a people around a common goal. I am certain that it will serve as a platform for organizing and focusing of efforts in search of bringing about change. More about the website:

…In 1994, Congress transformed the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday into a national day of community service to further commemorate a man who lived his life in service to others. As a tribute to that legacy and the very real needs of our nation, the President-elect and Vice President-elect have launched a national organizing effort on the eve of their Inauguration to engage Americans in service. This national day of service will fall on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, January 19, 2009 and, unlike past calls to service, President-elect Obama is calling on all Americans to do more than just offer a single day of service to their cities, towns and neighborhoods.  He is asking all of us to make an ongoing commitment to our communities. Never has it been more important to come together in shared purpose to tackle the common challenges we face.

This website is designed to help promote these events and for Americans to make their commitments, build communities, find opportunities to serve and share their results. These can be events that engage people in direct service, or bring people together to reflect on Dr. King’s legacy and how they can commit to becoming more engaged citizens. Please create an event or sign up to volunteer today.”

Below are photographs from the meeting of President-elect Obama with all the living presidents at the Oval office in the  White House. Here is what I find to be striking: The placements of hands as each of them is posing for these and most other photographs from this event. The main contrast is between the hands of Obama, Bush (43), and Clinton. While Obama is clasping his in front, Bush (43)’s are spread out wide by his side in a confident pose. Clinton is standing with his clasped, but out of sight behind his back. And, Bush (41) has his hands in his pocket for the most part. Carter appears to be detached from the whole thing leaving a physical gap between himself and the other four.

What does this all mean? Of course, I am the least bit qualified to draw any meaning from these gestures. However, I could not help, but notice them.

The official Obama inauguration poster. You can buy it here.

Obama's Inaguration Poster

A brief summary of the historic presidential election that culminated in the election of Barack Obama to become the 44th president of the United States can be found here. An excerpt from this article, entitle “America’s historic election year,” is shown below:

…As the Republican ticket drew level, then briefly overtook him in the opinion polls, he held his nerve and waited for his opponents to make a mistake.

He did not have to wait long.

On 29 September, John McCain announced that he was suspending his campaign, to try and broker a financial bailout deal in Congress.

It was a fateful decision.

There can have been few presidential election campaigns whose closing stages have seen a real-time political drama in which both candidates were called on to participate.

But the unfolding economic crisis set these two sitting senators just such a test.

John McCain’s grand gesture was meant to be consistent with his “country first” slogan, but his inability to broker a deal with House Republicans made him look impetuous and ineffective.

His assertion that “the fundamentals of the US economy were strong” and his economic advisor Phil Gramm’s comment that America was only experiencing a “mental recession” made him and his team seem out of touch.

The younger man appeared to have the calmer head in a crisis…”

…The President-elect’s subdued, determined speech on election night, coupled with John McCain’s gracious words of concession, were the perfect coda to a truly historic campaign, in which the United States had both surprised and uplifted itself, by electing a young, bi-racial Senator as its 44th commander-in-chief…”

As we remember those that are getting swept by the silent tsunamis at distant lands and shores, we should also keep in our hearts and minds those going through the quiet storms that are shaking the foundations of the lives of many in our own backyards.

Yet again, I shall return to the words of President-elect Obama:

…That spirit of looking out for one another, that core value that says I am my brothers’ keeper, I am my sister’s keeper, that spirit is most evident during times of great tragedy, it’s most evident during times of great hardship, it’s most evident when natural disasters strike because we understand that only God has control and so it takes it out of the realm of politics. We all understand that we have to come together.

But that spirit can’t just be restricted to moments of great catastrophe. Because as I stand here today and look out at the thousands of folks who have gathered here today, I know that there’s some folks that are going through their own quiet storms.

…

There’re people out there who’ve seen their jobs shipped overseas. There’re people out there who don’t have healthcare, maybe they’ve been trying to pay it on a credit card but mostly they’ve just been putting off trying to see a doctor. There’re seniors out there that don’t know how they’re going to pay their home heating bill this winter. There are folks out there that don’t know how they’re going to fill up the gas tank. There are young people in this audience right now that have graduated from high school, have the grades and want to go to college, but don’t have the money. There are young people being born in the inner cities, right here in Milwaukee, that don’t see any prospects for the future that think the only path available to them is a casket or a jail cell.

All across America there are quiet storms taking place. There are lives of quiet desperation. People who need just a little bit of help. Now, Americans are a self-reliant people, we’re an independent people. We don’t like asking somebody else to do what we can do ourselves but you know what we understand is that every once in a while somebody’s going to get knocked down. Every once in a while somebody’s going to go through some hard times. When we least expect it tragedy may strike. And what has always made this country great is the understanding that we rise and fall as one nation, that values and family, community and neighborhood, they have to express themselves in our government. Those are national values. Those are values that we all subscribe to. And so that the spirit that we extend today and in the days to come as we monitor what happens on the Gulf that’s the spirit that we’ve got to carry with us each and every day. That’s the spirit that we need in our own homes and it’s the spirit that we need in the White House. And that’s why I’m running for president of the United States of America.

Because if there’s a poor child out there, that’s my child. If there’s a senior that’s having trouble, that’s my grandparent. If there’s a guy who’s lost his job, that’s my brother. If there’s a woman out there without healthcare, that’s my sister. Those are the values that built this country. Those are the values we are fighting for.”

Yesterday was the fourth anniversary of the 2004 Tsuinami of the Indian ocean, which caused a tremendous amount of destruction, took the lives of more than 200,000 people, and caused the displacement of many others. It was a moment that shall remain transfixed in the collective imagination of all the people. In a previous post, we have covered how social media facilitated the transfer of information from the affected regions to the different corners of the globe. While commemorating this anniversary, one can not help but feel saddened and depressed about the continuing silent tsunamis taking and causing havoc in the lives of many more across the globe. Almost always, these tsunamis are occurring in the forgotten corners of the world, where no media attention is paid and the socioeconomic condition is poor that the affected have little power by way of plugging into the sphere of the social interaction. When I speak of these people, I am thinking of the millions that are brutalized and affected by the continuing unrest in Congo, the hundreds of thousands in Darfur, the millions living in a lawless land that is Somalia, the thousands that are having to suffer from among the most avoidable illnesses such as Cholera in Zimbabwe, billions in the world living on less than three meals a day, the millions that die from treatable diseases such as malaria, the millions more that die of starvation and malnourishment, and millions more living in the dilapidated of circumstances devoid of any hope for a better future. The silent tsunamis are everywhere and are quietly destroying the lives of significantly more people than those affected by the one we remember today looking back at the horrific images of destruction that were brought into the attention of the world.

These people are helpless. They are unsafe fearing from attack of not just the ill-intentioned, but also those that are charged to protect them. They are terrorized to live another day. They are voiceless in the global discourse. They are desperate and hungry. The world needs to remember past disasters and check to see if the necessary learnings about prevention and preparedness have been taken. But, let us not forget also those that are living through the silent tsunamis now. They need an outlet of voice; a helping hand. In the moment of despair and anguish, I was pleasantly surprised to discover a gem hidden deep in President-elect Obama’s speech on November 4, 2008. He said:

…And to all those watching tonight from beyond our shores, from parliaments and palaces to those who are huddled around radios in the forgotten corners of our world – our stories are singular, but our destiny is shared, and a new dawn of American leadership is at hand.”  

They are waiting for the new dawn of leadership to rescue them. They are waiting for miracles.

There has recently been a tremendous amount of buzz spreading all over the internet around the shirtless pictures of President-elect Barack Obama. O!, gushed The Huffington Post.

O!

Thinking about this incident, I could not help but be impressed by the subtle, but symbolic, example it sets for the nation. Every bit of news coverage of  his daily work activities during the transition process has been making note of the fact that he incessantly goes to a gym without fail. He is probably one of the busiest persons on the planet and yet makes time to exercise on a daily basis. Needless to say, the fruits of such habits clearly manifest themselves in his good physical health and shape the images that surfaced project.

This is to be contrasted with the obesity epidemic that is affecting the nation. Below are graphs from CDC that show the percent of U.S. adults that are obese:

Percent of Obese (BMI > 30) in U.S. Adults (2007)

It is incredible to note that almost all the states have > 20% of their population as obese. Now, let us look at the same type of map from years past:

1986

1995

2001

The pace at which the numbers have been increasing is cause for alarm and is crying out for a major intervention and an act of strong leadership. What are the consequences of obesity? The answer to this question can be found from Weight-control Information Network, at National Institute of Health:

Obesity is more than a cosmetic problem. Many serious medical conditions have been linked to obesity, including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, and stroke. Obesity is also linked to higher rates of certain types of cancer. Men who are obese are more likely than nonobese men to develop cancer of the colon, rectum, or prostate. Women who are obese are more likely than nonobese women to develop cancer of the gallbladder, uterus, cervix, or ovaries. Esophageal cancer has also been associated with obesity.

Other diseases and health problems linked to obesity include:

• Gallbladder disease and gallstones.
• Fatty liver disease (also called nonalcoholic steatohepatitis or NASH).
• Gastroesophageal reflux, or what is sometimes called GERD. This problem occurs when the lower esophageal sphincter does not close properly and stomach contents leak back—or reflux—into the esophagus.
• Osteoarthritis, a disease in which the joints deteriorate. This is possibly the result of excess weight on the joints.
• Gout, another disease affecting the joints.
• Pulmonary (breathing) problems, including sleep apnea, which causes a person to stop breathing for a short time during sleep.
• Reproductive problems in women, including menstrual irregularities and infertility.

Health care providers generally agree that the more obese a person is, the more likely he or she is to develop health problems.

Emotional suffering may be one of the most painful parts of obesity. American society emphasizes physical appearance and often equates attractiveness with slimness, especially for women. Such messages make overweight people feel unattractive.

Many people think that individuals with obesity are gluttonous, lazy, or both. This is not true. As a result, people who are obese often face prejudice or discrimination in the job market, at school, and in social situations. Feelings of rejection, shame, or depression may occur.”

That is where I see Obama leading by example. Without saying a word, the good physical shape he is in communicates the result of sustaining an active lifestyle. The discipline with which he goes about attending to his daily workouts communicates the type of committement it requires to stay healthy and, for that matter, overcome obesity. He is indeed a leader unlike any other.

For an intellectual insight into the background and thinking of Prof. John Holdren, who is just appointed to be Assistant to the President for Science and Technology, Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, and Co-Chair of the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST), check out a journal article published in Innovations entitled “The Energy Innovation Imperative: Addressing Oil Dependence, Climate Change, and Other 21st Century Energy Challenges (Innovations, volume 1, issue 2, pages 3-23).”  

Below is an excerpt from the article that outlines the aims of a successful energy strategy

President-elect Obama has announced his Science and Technology Team. Via change.gov:

President-elect Obama announced his appointment of Dr. John Holdren as Assistant to the President for Science and Technology, Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, and Co-Chair of the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST). He also announced Dr. Harold Varmus and Dr. Eric Lander as the other co-chairs of PCAST, which the President-elect said he hopes will be “a vigorous external advisory council that will shape my thinking on the scientific aspects of my policy priorities.” Addtionally, he named Dr. Jane Lubchenco as his choice to lead the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

The announcement:

… The truth is that promoting science isn’t just about providing resources—it’s about protecting free and open inquiry. It’s about ensuring that facts and evidence are never twisted or obscured by politics or ideology. It’s about listening to what our scientists have to say, even when it’s inconvenient—especially when it’s inconvenient. Because the highest purpose of science is the search for knowledge, truth and a greater understanding of the world around us…

It’s time we once again put science at the top of our agenda and worked to restore America’s place as the world leader in science and technology… From landing on the moon, to sequencing the human genome, to inventing the Internet, America has been the first to cross that new frontier because we had leaders who paved the way… Leaders who not only invested in our scientists, but who respected the integrity of the scientific process…”

I would not dare add my words next to those of the seminal speeches of Barack Obama shown below in condensed word cloud representation with the exclusion of common words in the English language. It is very striking to note that each of these speeches have a particular and unmistakable message and theme as exemplified in the most frequently used words in the respective speeches (In the case of the word cloud representation, those words are the ones that are seen to be of the largest font size in the cloud). I think this goes to show Obama’s ability to communicate effectively, a topic that was discussed in a previous post. Here, I will attempt to decipher the  key themes of each of these speeches based on just a few words that are prominently displayed in each cloud.

• Iraq speech: opposed, fight, war: There is no mistaking that he wanted to get across the point that he opposed the war. He had multiple parts of the speech where he asks “You want a fight, President Bush?” and goes on to describe worthwhile fights. In so doing, he is able to effectively communicate, as he put it, “I am not opposed to all wars. I’m opposed to dumb wars.” A passage from that section is shown below:

I am not opposed to all wars. I’m opposed to dumb wars.

 So for those of us who seek a more just and secure world for our children, let us send a clear message to the president today. You want a fight, President Bush? Let’s finish the fight with Bin Ladenand al-Qaeda, through effective, coordinated intelligence, and a shutting down of the financial networks that support terrorism, and a homeland security program that involves more than color-coded warnings.

 You want a fight, President Bush? Let’s fight to make sure that the UN inspectors can do their work, and that we vigorously enforce a non-proliferation treaty, and that former enemies and current allies like Russia safeguard and ultimately eliminate their stores of nuclear material, and that nations like Pakistan and India never use the terrible weapons already in their possession, and that the arms merchants in our own country stop feeding the countless wars that rage across the globe.

You want a fight, President Bush? Let’s fight to make sure our so-called allies in the Middle East, the Saudis and the Egyptians, stop oppressing their own people, and suppressing dissent, and tolerating corruption and inequality, and mismanaging their economies so that their youth grow up without education, without prospects, without hope, the ready recruits of terrorist cells.

You want a fight, President Bush? Let’s fight to wean ourselves off Middle East oil, through an energy policy that doesn’t simply serve the interests of Exxon and Mobil. Those are the battles that we need to fight. Those are the battles that we willingly join. The battles against ignorance and intolerance, corruption and greed, poverty and despair.

The consequences of war are dire, the sacrifices immeasurable. We may have occasion in our lifetime to once again rise up in defense of our freedom, and pay the wages of war. But we ought not — we will not — travel down that hellish path blindly. Nor should we allow those who would march off and pay the ultimate sacrifice, who would prove the full measure of devotion with their blood, to make such an awful sacrifice in vain.”

• Democratic Convention speech (2004):- America, hope, states, country: If we ignore the references to John Kerry, which was inevitable as the occasion called for it, these words are central to the unifying theme that he was speaking to. He was calling the people to the sense of country, hope and unity in spite of the presumed divisions that exist between people of different states. Below is a passage that exemplifies this:

My parents shared not only an improbable love, they shared an abiding faith in the possibilities of this nation. They would give me an African name, Barack, or ”blessed,” believing that in a tolerant America your name is no barrier to success. They imagined — They imagined me going to the best schools in the land, even though they weren’t rich, because in a generous America you don’t has to be rich to achieve your potential.

They’re both passed away now. And yet, I know that on this night they look down on me with great pride.

They stand here — And I stand here today, grateful for the diversity of my heritage, aware that my parents’ dreams live on in my two precious daughters. I stand here knowing that my story is part of the larger American story, that I owe a debt to all of those who came before me, and that, in no other country on earth, is my story even possible.

Tonight, we gather to affirm the greatness of our Nation — not because of the height of our skyscrapers, or the power of our military, or the size of our economy. Our pride is based on a very simple premise, summed up in a declaration made over two hundred years ago:

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

That is the true genius of America, a faith — a faith in simple dreams, an insistence on small miracles; that we can tuck in our children at night and know that they are fed and clothed and safe from harm; that we can say what we think, write what we think, without hearing a sudden knock on the door; that we can have an idea and start our own business without paying a bribe; that we can participate in the political process without fear of retribution, and that our votes will be counted — at least most of the time.

…

The pundits, the pundits like to slice-and-dice our country into Red States and Blue States; Red States for Republicans, Blue States for Democrats. But I’ve got news for them, too. We worship an “awesome God” in the Blue States, and we don’t like federal agents poking around in our libraries in the Red States. We coach Little League in the Blue States and yes, we’ve got some gay friends in the Red States. There are patriots who opposed the war in Iraq and there are patriots who supported the war in Iraq. We are one people, all of us pledging allegiance to the stars and stripes, all of us defending the United States of America.”

•  Iowa speech:- Hope, America, moment, change: The victory Obama had in Iowa and this speech, which he gave in the aftermath, are the two factors that transformed him into a credible and viable candidate for the presidency. The grand theme of hope tied to a message of all things being possible in America and a coming of change make this speech one of the most memorable ones. Below is a passage from it:

…They said this country was too divided, too disillusioned to ever come together around a common purpose. but on this January night, at this defining moment in history, you have done what the cynics said we couldn’t do. You have done what the state of New Hampshire can do in five days. You have done what America can do in this new year, 2008. in lines that stretched around schools and churches in, small towns and in big cities, you came together as Democrats, Republicans, and Independents to stand up and say that we are one nation. We are one people. and our time for change has come! you said the time has come to move beyond the bitterness and pettiness and anger that’s consumed Washington. To end the political strategy that’s been all about division and instead, make it about addition, to build a coalition for change that stretches through red states and blue states. because that’s how we’ll win in November, and that’s how we’ll finally meet the challenges that we face as a nation. We are choosing hope over fear. we’re choosing unity over division and sending a powerful message that change is coming to America.”

• New Hampshire speech:- Yes, new, America, something, happening: This was a concession speech unlike any other, and one of my favorites. The themes sounded in this one speak to the re-energizing of the campaign effort, the relaunching into a new and drawn-out competition for the nomination, the stirring of a “yes we can” mentality, and the articulation of the coming together of forces to re-align the political landscape. In the face of defeat, this was as solid and motivational a speech as one could ask for. A passage from this speech:

For most of this campaign, we were far behind. We always knew our climb would be steep. But in record numbers, you came out, and you spoke up for change.

And with your voices and your votes, you made it clear that at this moment, in this election, there is something happening in America.

There is something happening when men and women in Des Moines and Davenport, in Lebanon and Concord, come out in the snows of January to wait in lines that stretch block after block because they believe in what this country can be.

There is something happening. There’s something happening when Americans who are young in age and in spirit, who’ve never participated in politics before, turn out in numbers we have never seen because they know in their hearts that this time must be different.

There’s something happening when people vote not just for party that they belong to, but the hopes that they hold in common.

And whether we are rich or poor, black or white, Latino or Asian, whether we hail from Iowa or New Hampshire, Nevada or South Carolina, we are ready to take this country in a fundamentally new direction.

That’s what’s happening in America right now; change is what’s happening in America.

…

We have been told we cannot do this by a chorus of cynics. And they will only grow louder and more dissonant in the weeks and months to come.

We’ve been asked to pause for a reality check. We’ve been warned against offering the people of this nation false hope. But in the unlikely story that is America, there has never been anything false about hope.

For when we have faced down impossible odds, when we’ve been told we’re not ready or that we shouldn’t try or that we can’t, generations of Americans have responded with a simple creed that sums up the spirit of a people: Yes, we can. Yes, we can. Yes, we can.

It was a creed written into the founding documents that declared the destiny of a nation: Yes, we can.

It was whispered by slaves and abolitionists as they blazed a trail towards freedom through the darkest of nights: Yes, we can.

It was sung by immigrants as they struck out from distant shores and pioneers who pushed westward against an unforgiving wilderness: Yes, we can.

It was the call of workers who organized, women who reached for the ballot, a president who chose the moon as our new frontier, and a king who took us to the mountaintop and pointed the way to the promised land: Yes, we can, to justice and equality.

Yes, we can, to opportunity and prosperity. Yes, we can heal this nation. Yes, we can repair this world. Yes, we can.”

• Race speech:- white, black: this speech is a substantive one. These two words say it all. Below is an extended passage from this speech that met the challenge of the day facing Obama’s campaign and served to give a historical lesson about the arc of progress being made in race relations from the original sin of slavery to this day.

Contrary to the claims of some of my critics, black and white, I have never been so naïve as to believe that we can get beyond our racial divisions in a single election cycle, or with a single candidacy – particularly a candidacy as imperfect as my own.

But I have asserted a firm conviction – a conviction rooted in my faith in God and my faith in the American people – that working together we can move beyond some of our old racial wounds, and that in fact we have no choice is we are to continue on the path of a more perfect union.

For the African-American community, that path means embracing the burdens of our past without becoming victims of our past. It means continuing to insist on a full measure of justice in every aspect of American life. But it also means binding our particular grievances – for better health care, and better schools, and better jobs – to the larger aspirations of all Americans — the white woman struggling to break the glass ceiling, the white man whose been laid off, the immigrant trying to feed his family. And it means taking full responsibility for own lives – by demanding more from our fathers, and spending more time with our children, and reading to them, and teaching them that while they may face challenges and discrimination in their own lives, they must never succumb to despair or cynicism; they must always believe that they can write their own destiny.

Ironically, this quintessentially American – and yes, conservative – notion of self-help found frequent expression in Reverend Wright’s sermons. But what my former pastor too often failed to understand is that embarking on a program of self-help also requires a belief that society can change.

The profound mistake of Reverend Wright’s sermons is not that he spoke about racism in our society. It’s that he spoke as if our society was static; as if no progress has been made; as if this country – a country that has made it possible for one of his own members to run for the highest office in the land and build a coalition of white and black; Latino and Asian, rich and poor, young and old — is still irrevocably bound to a tragic past. But what we know — what we have seen – is that America can change. That is true genius of this nation. What we have already achieved gives us hope – the audacity to hope – for what we can and must achieve tomorrow.

In the white community, the path to a more perfect union means acknowledging that what ails the African-American community does not just exist in the minds of black people; that the legacy of discrimination – and current incidents of discrimination, while less overt than in the past – are real and must be addressed. Not just with words, but with deeds – by investing in our schools and our communities; by enforcing our civil rights laws and ensuring fairness in our criminal justice system; by providing this generation with ladders of opportunity that were unavailable for previous generations. It requires all Americans to realize that your dreams do not have to come at the expense of my dreams; that investing in the health, welfare, and education of black and brown and white children will ultimately help all of America prosper.

In the end, then, what is called for is nothing more, and nothing less, than what all the world’s great religions demand – that we do unto others as we would have them do unto us. Let us be our brother’s keeper, Scripture tells us. Let us be our sister’s keeper. Let us find that common stake we all have in one another, and let our politics reflect that spirit as well.”

• Acceptance speech:- Promise, America, McCain: This speech marks the culmination of a long nomination fight and a transition to the new phase of the campaign in which Obama squarely put the choices facing the American people in the plainest of ways. Contrary to conventional wisdom, this was an aggressive speech that was directly aimed at contrasting with McCain/Bush, and hence the prominance of the word in the cloud. While doing that, he still maintains the unifying theme of focusing on and proclaiming the promise of America and its people. Below is a passage from it:

…Four years ago, I stood before you and told you my story – of the brief union between a young man from Kenya and a young woman from Kansas who weren’t well-off or well-known, but shared a belief that in America, their son could achieve whatever he put his mind to.

It is that promise that has always set this country apart – that through hard work and sacrifice, each of us can pursue our individual dreams but still come together as one American family, to ensure that the next generation can pursue their dreams as well.

That’s why I stand here tonight. Because for two hundred and thirty two years, at each moment when that promise was in jeopardy, ordinary men and women – students and soldiers, farmers and teachers, nurses and janitors — found the courage to keep it alive.

…

This country of ours has more wealth than any nation, but that’s not what makes us rich. We have the most powerful military on Earth, but that’s not what makes us strong. Our universities and our culture are the envy of the world, but that’s not what keeps the world coming to our shores.

Instead, it is that American spirit – that American promise – that pushes us forward even when the path is uncertain; that binds us together in spite of our differences; that makes us fix our eye not on what is seen, but what is unseen, that better place around the bend.

That promise is our greatest inheritance. It’s a promise I make to my daughters when I tuck them in at night, and a promise that you make to yours – a promise that has led immigrants to cross oceans and pioneers to travel west; a promise that led workers to picket lines, and women to reach for the ballot.

And it is that promise that forty five years ago today, brought Americans from every corner of this land to stand together on a Mall in Washington, before Lincoln’s Memorial, and hear a young preacher from Georgia speak of his dream.

The men and women who gathered there could’ve heard many things. They could’ve heard words of anger and discord. They could’ve been told to succumb to the fear and frustration of so many dreams deferred.

But what the people heard instead – people of every creed and color, from every walk of life – is that in America, our destiny is inextricably linked. That together, our dreams can be one.

“We cannot walk alone,” the preacher cried. “And as we walk, we must make the pledge that we shall always march ahead. We cannot turn back.”

America, we cannot turn back. Not with so much work to be done. Not with so many children to educate, and so many veterans to care for. Not with an economy to fix and cities to rebuild and farms to save. Not with so many families to protect and so many lives to mend. America, we cannot turn back. We cannot walk alone. At this moment, in this election, we must pledge once more to march into the future. Let us keep that promise – that American promise – and in the words of Scripture hold firmly, without wavering, to the hope that we confess.”

• Victory speech: America, tonight, new, people: Only in America can this indeed happen, only in America! Obama election is a historical marker that shall be used to demarcate the degree of transformation the country is making towards becoming a more perfect union. His speech amplifies these themes (America, tonight, new) where, on that particular night, the coming together of a broad coalition of people has elevated him to the highest office in the land and charted a new course in history. Below is a passage from it:

If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible; who still wonders if the dream of our founders is alive in our time; who still questions the power of our democracy, tonight is your answer.

…

Its the answer that led those who have been told for so long by so many to be cynical, and fearful, and doubtful of what we can achieve to put their hands on the arc of history and bend it once more toward the hope of a better day.

Its been a long time coming, but tonight, because of what we did on this day, in this election, at this defining moment, change has come to America.

…

For that is the true genius of America – that America can change. Our union can be perfected. And what we have already achieved gives us hope for what we can and must achieve tomorrow.

…

This is our moment. This is our time – to put our people back to work and open doors of opportunity for our kids; to restore prosperity and promote the cause of peace; to reclaim the American Dream and reaffirm that fundamental truth – that out of many, we are one; that while we breathe, we hope, and where we are met with cynicism, and doubt, and those who tell us that we cant, we will respond with that timeless creed that sums up the spirit of a people:

Yes We Can.“

Along with their story about the selection of Barack Obama as the person of the year, Time has pictures of him taken in 1980 by Lisa Jack, a then-20-year-old-aspiring-photographer.

Barack Obama (1980)

Barack Obama (1980)

Chance Encounter
In 1980, when Obama was a freshman at Occidental College in Los Angeles, he was approached by an aspiring photographer named Lisa Jack, who asked him if he would be willing to pose for some black and white photographs that she could use in her portfolio. “

The “Person of the Year” has been chosen to be Barack Obama. Given the unprecedented nature of his accomplishment and the far-reaching consequence of his election to become the 44th president of the U.S., this decision did not surprise me all that much. The runners-up were Henry Paulson, Nicolas Sarkozy, Sarah Palin, and Zhang Yimou. They also have a list of “People Who Mattered.”

Below is an extract from a blog entry posted by Amy Sullivan at Swampland, on August 29, 2008, that I thought was an accurate assessment and reflects some of the sentiment I described in the previous post. I am quoting it here in its entirety for your reading pleasure:

You’d think we’d remember by now. Obama and his aides certainly remind us of it enough. And we already saw this movie last all. But that speech proved once again that this is a candidate and a campaign like none we’ve ever seen before.

That’s not starry-eyed praise. It’s a description. Obama’s willingness–nay, insistence–on breaking so many rules about how presidential campaigns are run is an enormous gamble that may not pay off in November. It does explain, however, why Democrats and pundits and even the McCain campaign are wrong to base their worries and predictions and strategies on traditional political expectations.

Conventional wisdom states that the nominee should stick to the positive, to making a case for himself, and leave the attack-dog work to his surrogates. Instead, Obama just gave the toughest speech of the convention.

Conventional wisdom states that a nominee who faces charges of being “the most liberal Democratic nominee ever” should not use his acceptance speech to give an clear, unabashed defense of liberalism. But listen to this: “Ours is a promise that says government cannot solve all our problems, but what it should do is that which we cannot do for ourselves–protect us from harm and provide every child a decent education; keep our water clean and our toys safe; invest in new schools and new roads and new science and technology. Our government should work for us, not against us.” There are many who will not agree with that statement. But Obama does a better job of making the case for liberalism than any Democrat in a generation. (See this Knox College commencement speech from 2005 for a fuller version of his argument.)

Conventional wisdom states that a candidate probably shouldn’t use his party’s nominating convention for some Sister Souljah talk. But that’s (lightly) what Obama did by reminding Democrats that money is not enough; that individual and mutual responsibility is necessary as well. And by challenging some of their positions on gun rights, abortion, and gay rights.

And conventional wisdom definitely states that if your opponent has spent the summer attacking you for being some sort of messianic celebrity figure, you maybe shouldn’t accept the nomination in an outdoor stadium in front of 84,000 screaming fans–and that after a reprise of will.i.am’s “Yes We Can” song. But when Obama spoke, that crowd wasn’t shouting his name or waving “Obama” signs. Instead, viewers saw tens of thousands of American flags filling the stadium.

Yes, Obama knows that he needs to counter attacks that he is insufficiently patriotic. But even before Republicans started making that charge against him, there was a renewed patriotic fever on the campaign trail. Starting on the night of the Iowa caucuses and stretching this week, Democratic crowds have been spontaneously bursting into “U-S-A” chants of the sort you ordinarily hear at Olympic events.

Obama opened his speech by essentially reimagining patriotism, insisting that “We are a better country than this.” He built up to a sense of outrage at the abuses he accused Republicans of committing in the country’s name and urged the crowd not to react to the Bush years by blaming the country but by taking it back. “Enough!”

Again, it may not work. “My country, right or wrong” may turn out to be a more appealing message for a key segment of American voters. But that’s part of the gamble Obama’s taking and you have to admire his guts for sticking with it, even in the face of mounting criticism from within and without his party.

Last fall, as Karen has reported, Obama went into a meeting with his top fundraisers, many of whom were freaked out about the fact that he had not gone on the attack against Hillary Clinton, that her inevitability seemed to be set in stone. “We’re up against the most formidable team in 25 years,” he said. “But we’ve got a plan, and we’ve got to have faith in it.”

Tonight, heading into the final leg of a campaign against the GOP, the other most formidable team in 25 years, Obama ended his remarks with a similar instruction. “Let us…hold firmly, without wavering, to the hope that we confess.”

This is a thought put together much later than almost all has been said about the person of Barack Obama and the significance of his rise to the highest office in the land. As my former teacher would say, it is better late than never. What pushed me even more to jot down my thoughts on this historical moment is the myopia and utter lack of historical perspective a significant number in news media and even larger number of those who oppose(d) have been showing in the course and since the end of the presidential campaign. What amazes me is that some observers and most of his political opponents seemed to not be able to learn from the demise of their predecessors. Looking back at his political career, from a crushing defeat in his first attempt at elected office to his election as a state senator and later as a US senator, one quickly learns that he has a consummate ability to seize opportunities that come his way. These opportunities were not being thrown at him as an endowment of a privileged background. He had the necessary preparation, insight and forward-thinking to position himself in a place where he can take the most advantage. They do not say luck favors the prepared for no reason. That at-all-time readiness has singlehandedly catapulted him from a son of a mother living on food stumps to a position of influence and power unlike any other. He is a practical kind of a leader who seems to wisely choose the battles he wants to fight knowing that he has a higher than likely chance of succeeding. He has demonstrated that time and time again. Essential readings in this regard are: Relentless: How Barack Obama Outsmarted Hillary Clinton, by Roger Simon and Making It: How Chicago Shaped Obama, by Ryan Lizza. Even of late, there is a sense of amazement among many about the kind of team he is building to be a part of his adminstration. Many are expressing wonder in how pragmatic he is and centerist his approach has been during the transition period. These same people were giving a deaf ear to his message during the campaign and were more interested in believing the distorted perceptions about his political leanings, even after he had written a best selling book professing to the idea otherwise. One needs only to hear what some of the most conservative members of the Harvard Law Review had to say about his leadership style that was embracing of all sides and the intellectual strength he had to entertain ideas that are vastly different than his own. Below is a portion of that Frontline program:

As they say, those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it. In the case of the presidential election, they continued to underestimate him and simply found themselves at the losing end.

On a personal level, witnessing in real-time what will be remembered for a long time as a spectacular political accomplishment of the last many decades was a privilege. I believe that the inspirational value of his election would far outweigh many of the practical policy accomplishments that he will have had during his term. Millions of kids, be they whites or minorities, will have grown up taking for granted the fact that all things are possible. It is especially more meaningful as the country progresses forward towards a nation where minorities will have collectively made for the majority of the population. When Obama says that he was raised by a single mother without a father around and that his family was relying on food stumps to make it, a lot of children from broken homes can hear and see him and know that they too can make it irrespective of their current circumstances. The outcome of the election was also an affirmation of the core decency, as Obama would put it, of the American people. Watching the election returns come in, I was just sitting there thinking to myself what a great country this is. There may be some cynics, racists, bigots, and other people prone to be guided by prejudices, but there are a greater many who are open to persuasion and are willing to be inspired by a message of unity irrespective of the background and skin-color of the messenger. The civility about the process and the malleability of the nation to change and self-correct also make it the most unique among many.

What I think is most remarkable about Obama is his ability to put thoughts and ideas in to a melodic symphony of words. His ability to effectively communicate in writing and speaking are of tremendous inspiration for all and of a great asset to him. I think the biggest lesson we should all take from this is that not only success favors the prepared, but also that one has to have the courage, boldness, and, shall we say, audacity to step into greatness. He could have easily been satisfied to remain as a community organizer, law clerk, civil rights lawyer, a professor, a state senator, or the only sitting black US senator. But, every step of the way, he was ready and prepared to take a step forward to accomplish the unthinkable and pave the way for those willing to take the example. And because he did, he has forever changed the world and how the world perceives people like him!

Here is a post at Condé Nast Portfolio about David Plouffe, who Obama referred to as being the unsung hero of his campaign. In a way, the sucess of the campaign they effectively put together is a good manifestation of the laws of incremental returns, one that was built by a gathering of resources and the seizing of opportunities at a sustained focus and drive over a prolonged period of time.

Dr. Steven Chu succinctly highlights the enormity of the global warming crisis and makes a compelling case energy usage efficiency improvement. This presentation is filled with pieces of information that debunk a lot of the myth about energy consumption needs and economic development, the large scale savings that can be brought about by instituting efficiency improvement policies, and availability of the necessary technology to bring about transformation. My favorite part starts right at about 4:14. In fact, I think his potential appointment at the Department of Energy may be a move by President-elect Obama’s part to do exactly that.