America’s Home-Coming

I am not an American, but as I listened to Obama’s speech last night, this Briton’s cheeks were as wet as any American’s with the tears that flowed – not only because of what Obama was saying, but also because of what Americans had done: over 350 electoral college votes is a wholly different kind of “shock and awe”.

But I had been primed – by McCain’s concession – not so much by his speech, but the sad, small-minded, fearful reaction of those few supporters in his crowd who booed him – their leader – when he offered entirely appropriate sentiments about the new President-elect with whom he’d competed. In so doing, McCain showed himself to be a man much more graceful and greater in spirit than some of those people who’d supported him and were now booing his desire to acknowledge and serve his new President, in the name of a new America.

And what true American would want to do any less?

The boos from McCain’s supporters on mention of Obama captured in a moment the inherent contradiction about which the Republican party has for months been asking the electorate to suspend disbelief: many independently minded voters like McCain and his politics, but had to ask, “What has changed about the Republicans who support him, the people who would be helping to implement this man’s policies?” If a vote for McCain was indeed a vote for change, then how could we be sure that all those people who’d been so pleased with Bush would now, sincerely, want McCain to be McCain, and not Bush. Whence the change of heart?

The mean-spiritedness of McCain’s crowd in Arizona was enough to tell us all last night that the best party, at least on this day, won, and those pathetic individuals, cut from the same cloth as those who’ve been trying to say that Obama is a terrorist, or whatever else, stood (literally) in stark contrast to those who stood, with overwhelming positivity, optimism, and good faith, in Chicago, both when McCain, their rival was speaking, and when Obama was praising McCain and including him in his plans for this country’s future.

Last night, it was the man who is taking these United States, a little more united now we hope, into their next chapter, who brought the best out of a people betwixt a sea and a shining sea.

Today, the Russians said to America “Welcome Back, Friends”.

The French are speaking of the Rebirth of the American Dream

The British are proclaiming “One Giant Leap for Mankind” from the front page of one of their tabloids

The Australians are writing of the “Dreams of Generations”

… All heady stuff in the throes of passion, one might say, but for a little while, at least, it doesn’t even feel like a political statement to say, “Welcome Home, America”.