President Obama
Nov 5th, 2008 by shihjern
Yesterday, the United States elected its first ever non-white President. It is really amazing – a half white, half Kenyan guy, born in Hawaii, called Barack Hussein Obama, was elected to hold the most powerful position in the world. Whatever else is said, this is truly a historic event. I feel very fortunate to have been able to live and work in the United States during this momentous period – witnessing Obama go through a tumultuous primary race against the former First Lady, Senator Hilary Clinton, and finally defeating the septuagenarian former Vietnam prisoner of war, Senator John McCain. This date will be remembered and cemented in the history books, and I got to watch it live (the cheering crowds, the vicous advertisements, the endless debates and commentaries).
I have actually had the honour of seeing Obama speak live. Only three years ago, while he was a young and new Senator, he spoke during a lunch at Harvard Law School, his alma mater. Humble students like me got to attend and many of my peers were mesmerized by his eloquence and intellect. I was extremely impressed, and many of my friends immediately predicted that he would one day become the U.S. President.
While I do not wholeheartedly embrace all his views (on economic and social policies), I nevertheless respect his intellect, eloquence and charisma. More importantly, I now have a profound admiration for the American people, who were truly able to vote without regard for race.
Congratulations, President Obama! May you lead and govern America well, in these extremely turbulent times.