President Barack Hussein Obama. The name could not be more un-American, especially that middle name with its Arabic/ Persian origin. His last name rhymes with George Bush’s number one enemy, something that Fox TV viewers will be well aware of. Oh, he’s also black.
The election of Mr Obama to the office of the most powerful human being on earth has not only given black people all over the world hope for the future, but it has quickly elevated his country’s status as the most progressive in the world. For the past few years now the US has been seen as a hi-tech cave built for only those inside, cold and unwelcoming to those seeking the mythical “American Dream”. Its standing as a respected leader had dwindled to such an extent that world powers were beginning to look at Europe and Asia for leadership. So when Mr Obama spoke of a long road to change during his victory speech, I had already seen so much change because of that win.
Last time the world stood this still, watched in awe, cried real tears, laughed and spoke one language was when Dr Nelson Mandela became Mzansi’s first president. No disrespect but the others before him were not democratically elected, and can therefore never lay claim to that title. Sorry. People in Japan were singing “Yes we can!”, monks in Tibet watched in disbelief on television, teenagers in São Paulo danced on the streets in jubilation, middle-class Mzansi held celebratory parties in Umhlanga. My mailbox got so much Obama-related mail that the system mistook it for spam and killed most of it.
Much has been said about how Mr Obama conducted his campaign of almost two years, how he started off as a no-hoper, taking on that powerful Senator Mrs Hillary Clinton (with her husband Bill), eventually winning that battle after long deep scars had been cut through their party. Few thought the Democrats would survive that fierce internal fist-fight, let alone that Mr Obama would take it. A senator from Illinois. Black even. At the time I had wondered out loud to a friend about whether America was ready to accept a woman President or a black one. Tuesday the 4th of November 2008 answered that quite clearly.
Mr Obama is set to be the most powerful US President ever elected. He will preside over a government ruled by his party and a Senate smitten with him. Moreover, he will run a world that totally adores him, has exceptionally high expectations of his Presidency. Come to think of it, this could be worrisome. A figure of this nature would be dangerous not because he would do bad things, but because he could do anything he wanted and people would back him 100% no questions asked. I worry about that aspect.
On the other hand he will need all the help he can get in order to sort out the problems his country is facing, and as a consequence, the world is facing. Issues of “terrorism”, racial tensions, global hunger, global warming, diplomatic timebombs (Iran, North Korea) and Africa. Heavy burdens for anyone, worst for someone who’s going to be judged by the colour of his skin. But this is where the real test of character comes in, where his true mettle shines through. He can’t please everyone all the time, so it will be interesting to see who he pleases first and who he pleases the most.
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