Eight Is Enough

Last night's address by Barack Obama left me with a mix of elation, inspiration and a strange sense of relief.

Elated that his speech was a full-throated, unapologetic affirmation of progressive principles, not some jelly-spined "centrist" bullshit that's doomed Democratic candidates not named Bill Clinton for the last two decades. Obama took on the social hot-button issues of the day - abortion, guns, gay marriage - and explained to the country that he stands on the right side of history. He didn't prattle on about "post-partisanship" and how he'll make nice with Republicans. He needed to draw a sharp distinction between his Democratic party and the party that's brought us the Bush-Cheney trainwreck for the last eight years and he did a damn good job of it.

Elated that Obama struck the right balance between laying out the specific plans of an Obama adminstration and portending the utter disaster of a McCain administration - four more years after the previous eight disastrous ones. Nominee addresses to the convention are usually more flowery and don't take on the opposing party's nominee too directly, but this isn't just any election. Obama needed to make the case to the country that we cannot afford a McCain presidency because it would be Bush III and he made it quite convincingly.

Insipred by Obama's own story and his eloquence in weaving his story into the American story that's been so much a part of this convention. I'm sure he's told his story a thousand times, and I wouldn't blame him if his eyes glazed over at some point. But, last night, his retelling had a special meaning and I think it has a lot to do with the negative attacks and e-mail smears he's had to endure during this campaign. The right-wing's attempts to alternately portray him as either an America-hating Muslim fanatic from an Indonesian madrassa or an empty-headed "celebrity" who offers nothing more than a good speech and some hoops skills must look like the ridiculous, pathetic schemes that they were. Experience? Obama's got a lifetime of it.

Inspired that Obama's story is my story, as it is the story for millions across this country. I am a child of immigrants, a first-generation American of color who is proud of all the fibers of his heritage. Never in my dreams could imagine that in my adult life, I would be able to cast a vote for a candidate who not only shares my values and ideas about the nation and world, but looks like me as well. Someone said to me last night after Obama's address that my vote didn't matter. In a more cynical time, I would be inclined to agree with that. But there will be no more meaningful vote I will cast in my lifetime than when I pull the lever for Obama on November 4.

I am equally relieved....relieved that this audacious gamble paid off so handsomely. The spectacle of 84,000 people packed into a football stadium to hear a convention address by a nominee was overwhelming and it made for great television. America saw a party united, a party comprised of people from all different backgrounds and cultures, sexes, creeds and orientations....a party energized and inspired by their candidate. I don't know if it played as well among the multitudes in the stadium, but Obama's message and his appeal came through loud and clear over the TV. America saw a man who not only inspires millions in the U.S., but around the world. If this is to be the face of America for the next four (or eight) years, we will be well-served.

As far as political speeches go, I thought it was an well-written address, neatly covering a wide range of topics and hitting a number of varied objectives without being a boring, monotonous recitation of policy planks. Some of the better lines:

"Senator McCain likes to talk about judgment, but really, what does it say about your judgment when you think George Bush has been right more than ninety percent of the time? I don't know about you, but I'm not ready to take a ten percent chance on change."

"Eight is enough!"

"It's not because John McCain doesn't care. It's because John McCain doesn't get it."

(talking about "trickle-down" economics) "Born into poverty? Pull yourself up by your own bootstraps - even if you don't have boots. You're on your own...Well it's time for them to own their failure."

"You don't defeat a terrorist network that operates in eighty countries by occupying Iraq."

"We are the party of Roosevelt. We are the party of Kennedy. So don't tell me that Democrats won't defend this country. Don't tell me that Democrats won't keep us safe. The Bush-McCain foreign policy has squandered the legacy that generations of Americans -- Democrats and Republicans - have built, and we are here to restore that legacy."

The celebration has ended and the hard work begins in earnest. There are 67 days until Election Day and there are miles to go before we sleep.

Gobama!