At the expense of sleep, I am committed to watching this ticker on Obama's website tick over past the one million mark. Only 333 to go!
Obama Front Page
This is my first ever diary, but I figure now is as good of a time as any.
I'm going to attempt to explore why I think Obama's election as President of the United States of America will lead to a tremendous generation of goodwill worldwide, much like the weeks following 9/11. More below the fold.
I'm one of those weirdo's who were paying attention to the skinny dude with the funny name back when he was running for the US Senate in Illinois. (300 to go!) I'm out here on the "Left Coast" in Portland, Oregon (home of the TIMBERS), but I hung versions of Obama's Senate campaign signs in my car which had been changed to read: Obama for President, 2004. It made a nice compliment to my Kerry/Edwards sticker. I did feel that even then, Barack would have been a better choice than Kerry, and it goes without saying that he'd have been better than Bush.
I like think I have a unique perspective when it comes to Obama--my wife is Indonesian, I speak the language fluently, have lived there for many years, and we are now a family of American Muslims. I hold a BA in International Affairs, and work hand-in-hand with over 20 different nationalities in my job. I think Obama's time spent in Indonesia as a child were extremely important to his understanding of the world and of a moderate, inclusive version of Islam. (218) It's an understanding that has served him well in his quest to find common ground with almost anyone and any group. Respect and tolerance are two beautiful words, and two which I closely associate with Barack.
I, like Michele Obama, have struggled since the first Gulf war to find pride in my country. I wanted to, but the realities of our arrogant and reprehensible conduct in the Middle East made it extremely difficult to feel good about my country and it's relations with the rest of the world.
I work as a volunteer with an international student exchange organization, and every year I coordinate a group of sparkling young people from predominantly Muslim countries and from the former Soviet republics. From them I gain a constantly-renewed sense of how the rest of the world views America, and of late, it's not been good during the Bush years. (172) They constantly ask me how the American people could have been so incredibly stupid. "I really don't know," I'm forced to reply.
But there is a light at the end of our long, dark tunnel of Darth Chaney and Bush.
I think the simple, pure truth of having a man named "Barack Hussein Obama" elected as the leader of our country will change so much about our perception in the world. (158) While it's easy to dismiss this as so much blind optimism, I truly feel that the outside world, looking in on the US, and seeing us finally rectifying our egregious error of electing Bush TWICE by selecting this fine, intelligent, classy, humble person as the leader of our country, will open up to us again, much in the way they did after 9/11.
Think about what you know about other countries outside the US: Russia? Putin and St. Basil's Cathedral. England? Football & Blair (now Brown). Australia? Kangaroos, Wallabies and John Howard (now Kevin Rudd). We usually know precious little about other countries, aside from their major features. While the rest of the world tends to be better informed on world affairs than the average American, Obama will most certainly be viewed as a major feature, and will be viewed with great positivity from outside our shores. (149!)
Well, I've tried to drag this on, but the fresh donations have slowed to a trickle, and I have to work tomorrow. I'm sure I'll awake to a text message of ONE MILLION! on my cell.
I dreamed of this day back in 2004. I ordered my signs, pins & buttons on the day he announced his presidential run, and have worn my pin, put the stickers on my cars and decorated my lawn and fence since the day all my goodies arrived. I have Hope for the American people. I have Hope that we can redeem ourselves and begin to fix this eight-year nightmare. I dare to Hope that we will again see the America we can ALL be proud of. (135) We can do this. Yes We CAN elect this amazing man despite his middle name, despite his skin color, despite his relative youth.
This is a new day in American politics, and will signal a new day in world leadership. (107!!) No longer will a minority of any sort go to bed thinking "I could never do that." Not only is he a great role model for minorities, he's a great role model for all of us. (102) Respect. Empower. Include.
Try to find the common ground that binds us instead of looking for the issues that divide us.
OK, under 100 (41) This might happen tonight!!
UPDATE: We made it! 1,000,047, and I'm going to bed. What a fun ride! And to think that WE helped make it happen.