Obama Nation? Try Obama World

Here's a snippet of a conversation Nicholas Kristof had with a friend in China (from today's NY Times):

She: Obama? But he’s the black man, isn’t he?

Me: Yes, exactly.

She: But surely a black man couldn’t become president of the United States?

Me: It looks as if he’ll be elected.

She: But president? That’s such an important job! In America, I thought blacks were janitors and laborers.

Me: No, blacks have all kinds of jobs.

She: What do white people think about that, about getting a black president? Are they upset? Are they angry?

Me: No, of course not! If Obama is elected, it’ll be because white people voted for him.

[Long pause.]

She: Really? Unbelievable! What an amazing country!

I never think of Obama as being black, or being mixed, or whatever. For me, race was never a factor. I suspect that's true of most people who will end up voting for him, because here we are with 12 days to go and Barack Hussein Obama, a black first-term senator from Illinois, is the prohibitive favorite to become the next president.

If Obama is elected, I think it's truly one of the most significant occurrences - if not the most significant - in the history of Western politics, at least from a pure symbolic standpoint. Think about it: when Barack Obama was born, segregation still existed in many parts of this country. Obama is 47 years old. 46 years ago - in his lifetime - the University of Mississippi opened its doors to a man named James Meredith, becoming the first university in the South to admit a black man. Last month, that same university hosted a presidential debate in which a black man took part.

Unbelievable.

For a variety of reasons, these are extraordinary times. From a pure historical standpoint, it would make sense for America, in an unprecedented economic and international quagmire, to pin its fortunes on a young man, running on a platform of hope and unity, who symbolizes that maybe, just maybe, the American Dream is still possible - even in the unlikeliest of places.

This is no longer a Democratic thing, or a Republican thing, or whatever. This is about a huge step that America can take for itself and for the world. The excitement and exhilaration over an Obama victory would reverberate worldwide. A black man as president of the United States?

It could happen. And we'll find out for certain in 12 days.

The World Wants Obama

Duh.  Didn't the 200,000 screaming Germans give it away?

I know that there are those on the right (and maybe in the left and middle, too) who don't take any value from the fact that just about the entire world wants to see Barack Obama elected President of the United Srates.  The only country where it's a horse race is this one.  God love Reagan Democrats and the Electoral College!

Seriously, though.  Think back to July when Obama went on his "world tour."  He was greeted by tens of thousands of adoring fans waving American flags in Berlin.  John McCain has of course twisted this into "Obama is just a celebrity" (this is before the moose-hunting hockey mom/tabloid target was on the ticket) and tried to use Obama's popularity against him.  But isn't it nice when other countries wave American flags instead of burn them?  Why do people not see this as one of the incredibly inspirational and transformational aspects of Obama's candidacy that it so clearly is?

The biggest issues in this election have to do with the economy here at home - gas prices, taxes, etc. - and that is definitely the way it should be.  We have to tend to our business here first.  But, seriously, America, you can elect someone who will instantly put us in good standing again with literally the entire world, or you can elect someone whom people either dislike or are apathetic towards.  It may not directly affect your wallet, but it is an important difference between these two men.

(Image: ABC News)