The American people have spoken. A coalition of black voters and white voters have rejected the old-style politics of George W. Bush and John McCain. They have rejected warmongering, and the abuse of human rights in Guantanamo Bay. They have rejected the anti-environmental stance of the Republican Party. They have refused to make Washington hostage to the special interest groups who usually fund election campaigns, by supporting a man who got most of his campaign funds from small people.
Obama said on Tuesday night: "I will never forget who this victory truly belongs to. It belongs to you. I know you didn't do this just to win an election. And I know you didn't do it for me. You did it because you understand the enormity of the task that lies ahead. For even as we celebrate tonight, we know the challenges that tomorrow will bring are the greatest of our lifetime: two wars, a planet in peril, the worst financial crisis in a century".
Obama has clearly identified the three issues over which the United States election was fought: the wars, the environment and the financial crisis. We can expect progress on all three fronts in the years to come. Yes, we can!
In voting against the wars and for the environment, the American people have also broken with the legacy of slavery which formally ended 143 years ago in the USA, but which still has its impact in modern America. McCain himself alluded to it in his concession speech: "This is an historic election, and I rec-ognise the special significance it has for African-Americans and for the special pride that must be theirs tonight. Though we have come a long way from the old injustices that once stained our nation's reputation and denied some Americans the full blessings of American citizenship, the memory of them still had the power to wound".
In our euphoria we must not overstate Obama's victory. In terms of Electoral College votes it was a landslide; he won more than twice as many as McCain. But in terms of the popular vote the difference between Obama and McCain was only 6 per cent - 7.5 million votes out of 120 million. Fully 46 per cent of US citizens who voted supported the old-style politics of the Republican Party. That's a lot of potential opposition!
You could hear Obama in his victory speech only too painfully aware of this: "And to those Americans whose support I have yet to earn, I may not have won your vote tonight, but I hear your voices. I need your help. And, I will be your president, too". Obama has heard the voices of the many who do not support change, who want things to remain the way they are.
McCain offers support
McCain was gracious enough to offer Obama his support, despite their differences: "These are difficult times for our country. And I pledge to him tonight to do all in my power to help him lead us through the many challenges we face. I urge all Americans who supported me to join me in not just congratulating him, but offering our next president our goodwill and earnest effort to find ways to come together to find the necessary compromises to bridge our differences and help restore our prosperity, defend our security in a dangerous world, and leave our children and grandchildren a stronger, better country than we inherited".
Compromises
The Democrats now control both the Senate and the House of Representatives, but they do not have enough votes to block filibusters. The Republicans can make things hard for Obama. McCain did not say his party was going to "Oppose, oppose, oppose!" He did not say: "I am going to be your worst nightmare!" But compromises will have to be worked out, and clearly there are going to be battles ahead.
You could hear it in Obama's sober voice; no triumphalism there. He had won an election, but that was only a relatively small battle in the greater war still to be fought. "This victory alone is not the change we seek. It is only the chance for us to make that change. And that cannot happen if we go back to the way things were. It can't happen without you, without a new spirit of service, a new spirit of sacrifice. So let us summon a new spirit of patriotism, of responsibility, where each of us resolves to pitch in and work harder and look after not only ourselves but each other. Let's resist the temptation to fall back on the same partisanship and pettiness and immaturity that has poisoned our politics for so long".
Obama knows that governance is not just about winning elections; it is about what happens afterwards. He is calling for an end to old-style US politics which has been part of their problem. I can't help wishing that we in Jamaica would put aside our old-style politics and set about the task of reversing the inequality woven into the fabric of Jamaican society despite our emancipation from slavery 170 years ago; most Jamaicans are still wounded by the effects of slavery.
Ruled by special interests
Descendants of slaves have been in power in Jamaica since Independence, and were in charge of the classroom before that; yet we still have not been able to teach the majority of Jamaicans to read and write. Jamaica is ruled by special interests that want us illiterate.
Yes we can!
Peter Espeut is a sociologist and an environmentalist and a Roman Catholic deacon. Feedback may be sent to columns@gleanerjm.com.
