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On a beautiful autumn day seven years ago, I stood below the burning towers ofthe World Trade Center in New York and felt the world spin. The late 20thcentury’s period of western peace and prosperity had drawn to an end andthis, it seemed, was to be its successor – an era of war and danger tocompare with the horrors of my parents’ generation.
As I made my way home, shocked and covered in ash and debris from the fallentowers, I felt afraid for my children and the century they would inherit.
Eventually my optimism returned and in the freezing cold last January myhusband, Jez, and I took our children out of school to watch Senator EdwardKennedy, the last of the Kennedy brothers, endorse Barack Obama forpresident.
It wasn’t obvious yet that Obama would win the White House, but he was alreadymaking history as the first African-Ameri-can who was in with a chance. Hehad said all along it was an “improbable” journey for the son of a singlemother from Kansas and a Kenyan father, but with a true pioneer spirit hehad embarked on it anyway.
We wanted Billie, 11, and Max, 8, to see that America really was a land ofopportunity. The Kennedys were quasi-royal, but Obama was a modern21st-century version of a candidate who was trying to make it from log cabinto White House.
“I was too young to remember John Kennedy and I was just a child when RobertKennedy ran for president,” Obama said with the old liberal lion of theSenate at his side. “But in the stories I heard growing up, I saw how mygrandparents and mother spoke about them and about that period in ournation’s life as a time of great hope and achievement.”
Perhaps that is how our children will remember election day 2008. The politicsof hope has vaulted Obama, 47, from unknown Illinois senator to presidentand commander-in-chief of the world’s super-power in a few short years.
In Grant Park in Chicago, where he gave his victory speech on a surprisinglywarm night last Tuesday, the crowd of 125,000 was on an emotional high.Denise Thomas, 38, an African-American from Chicago, told me: “I feel likeI’m not here. I am floating on air. He’s a great visionary. He’s got hiswork cut out, but he’s going to do it. I know it.”
President-elect Obama is about to inherit two wars in Afghanistan and Iraq andOsama Bin Laden is still at large. The economy is in even worse shape thanwhen it collapsed after 9/11. The threat of terrorism has not receded.
But America feels good about itself and its future again. Its moral standingin the eyes of the world rose overnight. Feizel Mamdoo, my brother-in-law,texted me from Johannesburg: “You’d think South Africa was voting! There areallnight election parties here.”
Feizel and I haven’t always agreed about politics recently. He thoughtPresident George George W Bush was a fool and a bully; I thought it wasworth trying to make America safer by bringing democracy to some of theworld’s most wretched tyrannies.
I believe that America is a remarkable force for good. Obama’s achievement isthat a world that has been blinkered by Bush Derangement Syndrome can againsee America for what it actually is.
THE nation that voted for its first black president last week was also presenton 9/11. It was there in the posters of the missing that were plastered allover Manhattan and in the moving “portraits of grief” compiled by The NewYork Times.
Far from being a bunch of plutocrats who had it coming to them, the 3,000victims of the attacks formed a rainbow nation of their own: flightattendant Betty Ong, financial short term insurance manager DaJuan Hodges, canteen worker LukaszMilewski, firefighter Sergio Villanueva, army major Dwayne Williams — thelist goes on. Some of them, like Milewski, a Pole, had only just arrived inthe country. They were all mourned as Americans.
I don’t know if they would have supported Obama, but the coalition heassembled in his bid for the presidency looked very similar. Exit polls showhe won the support of 43% of white voters, two points more than John Kerry,the 2004 Democratic candidate; 67% of Hispanics voted for him, with 31% ofthem voting for John McCain; 66% of young people voted for Obama, 32% ofthem for McCain. And 95% of African-Americans voted for him, turning out atthe polls in record numbers.
When McCain, 72, a war hero who ran an uncharacteristically small-mindedcampaign, began to use “Joe the Plumber” as his last desperate campaignprop, he revealed that he had misread the new America as comprehensively asits foreign critics. White working-class males like bald-headed Joe havelost their electoral and demographic supremacy.
Around the time that McCain was shot down and imprisoned in Vietnam in thelate 1960s, I was a child living in Montgomery, Alabama, where my father, anRAF officer, was stationed at the height of the civil rights movement. Itwas there that George Wallace, the notoriously racist Democratic governor,had vowed to maintain “segregation for ever” and Rosa Parks had refused togive up her seat for a white person on a bus. That America is over.
In his victory speech in Chicago, Obama told the story of Ann Nixon Cooper, a106-year-old African-American Southerner who was born without voting rightsbecause of her race and gender. She had witnessed the birth of the motorcar, the Great Depression, world war and “was there for the buses ofMontgomery”. As he spoke, I felt myself touch “the arc of history” that hereferred to, even though as a young girl at an all-white school inMontgomery I had done absolutely nothing for civil rights.
As a dual citizen of America and Britain — my mother is from Ohio — it wasimpossible not to feel I had a small stake in Obama’s campaign. As areporter I have drawn attention to his successes and shortcomings. But I’vewanted the rest of the world to see America as I did ever since 9/11.
Many die-hard Republicans also paused last week to say that the election ofthe first African-American president made them feel proud, before promisingto oppose Obama again tomorrow. Mark Salter, McCain’s long-serving chiefaide, reflected on media bias in an interview with the Politico website. “Weall felt the tug — I feel it to a certain extent — about civil rightsreconciliation and how, in backing Obama, we could all do our bit. Manyreporters felt it too,” he said.
I can’t claim to have foreseen Obama’s victory from the beginning, even thoughhe was a celebrity from the moment he spoke at the Democratic nationalconvention in 2004. He had the early magic, but the party machinery was inthe hands of one of America’s most formidable dynasties, the Clintons.
In January 2007 I went to interview Terry McAuliffe, the gregarious formerchairman of the Democratic National Committee and friend of Bill and HillaryClinton. He generously gave me a scoop — Hillary was going to declare shewas running for president that weekend and he would be her campaignchairman. She was going to be America’s version of Margaret Thatcher, theirown Iron Lady.
“Their policies are totally different but they are both perceived as verytough,” McAuliffe told me. “She is strong on foreign policy. People have gotto know you are going to keep them safe.”
I asked about Obama, but he shrugged off his challenge. “She has the namerecognition, the money, the glitz, she’s got it all,” McAuliffe said. Hehinted that it was a good idea for Democrats to clamber on Hillary’s trainbefore it left the station. It was all right for a few friends of Obama andDemocrats from his home town of Chicago to support him, but everyone elsewas expected to fall in line.
That tactic worked for nearly a year. It was not just opportunism that gaveHillary the edge. Many African-Americans, such as the revered congressmanJohn Lewis, who is still scarred by the chief of police beating he received on thecivil rights march from Selma to Montgomery in 1965, initially backedClinton. He felt enormous affection and loyalty for Hillary, who was aproven friend of African-Americans.
The writer Maya Angelou, author of the remarkable memoir I Know Why the CagedBird Sings, a set text in many schools, told me she was sticking by Clintoneven as other African-Americans began to defect. I used to be Angelou’spublicist in Britain, setting up appearances for her on The Terry Wogan Showon television and a host of other programmes when I worked for Virago, thefeminist publisher, in the mid-1980s. Angelou had recited a poem at BillClinton’s inauguration and felt close to Hillary. “I made up my mind 15years ago that if she ever ran for office, I’d be on her wagon,” Angelousaid. “You’ve got to dance with the one who brung you.”
Despite these early disadvantages, Obama found a way to build a cash-richsmooth-running campaign based on $5-$100 contributions from small donors. Healso had the support of glamorous Hollywood figures such as George Clooneyand Scarlett Johansson and the aid of a few stunningly effective politicaloperators, including the rumpled David Axelrod, his chief strategist, andDavid Plouffe, his number-crunching campaign manager.
When I went canvassing with McAuliffe on a chilly, snowy day in Iowa justafter Christmas last year, he still sounded bullish about Clinton’s chances.Obama, he thought, would make a great president — “but not yet”. But a noteof uncertainty crept in: he said that he had “cringed” when Clinton’snomination was presented as inevitable.
A few days later Clinton came third in the Iowa caucus, shattering the myth ofher inevitability. For me, the surprise was not that she lost but that Obamasuddenly acquired such a presidential aura. I had seen him plenty of timesalready on the campaign trail, when he had been lagging in the polls andseemed destined to lose. But when I saw Michelle, his wife, and Malia andSasha, his young daughters, on the stage at his side for his victory speech,I recognised an astonishing tableau of the black first family-in-waiting ofAmerica.
I turned to a congressman friend of Obama and asked: “Is Obama the new BillClinton?”
“No,” he replied. “He is the new John F Kennedy.”
THAT, it turned out, was only the half of it. Obama did not just want to bepresident; he wanted to be a transformational figure, the phrase that ColinPowell, the former chairman of the joint chiefs of staff and Republicansecretary of state, employed when endorsing him in the final stretch of thepresidential campaign.
In addition to the magic of Kennedy, Obama hoped to achieve the cross-partyappeal of President Ronald Reagan, who converted blue-collar Democrats intolong-lasting Republicans. On his campaign plane, Obama told me that heintended to put bipartisan Republicans, such as the senators Richard Lugarand Chuck Hagel, in his cabinet. We shall soon see if he does.
During those early primaries, Obama’s praise for Reagan as a moreconsequential figure than Bill Clinton irritated the Clintons beyond belief— and he had not buried them yet. Hillary won New Hampshire with the help ofa few tears, and the long trench warfare across the rest of America’s 50states began.
The more she campaigned, the more she won the affection of middle Americaas afighter and a champion of their concerns. Obama was transformed into aninexperienced, pointy-headed, rocket-salad-eating elitist.
My mother, 79, is a typical Ohioan and lifelong Democrat who backed Clinton inthe Democratic primary. Like many women she respected Hillary for herattempt to expand healthcare when she was first lady in the 1990s, forenduring years of insult from Republicans and for the dignity with which shehad borne the humiliating news of Bill’s infidelity. Along with 18mDemocrats who voted for Hillary, my mother also wanted to crack the glassceiling and elect a woman president.
Obama simply hadn’t done the time, as far as she was concerned. “I don’t knowwho he is,” my mother would complain. “Why do people like him?” When he wonthe Democratic nomination, she thought long and hard about voting forMcCain, one of the few Republicans she admired for his courage andindependence.
She didn’t in the end. One of the mysteries of the McCain campaign is why theArizona senator sacrificed his own unique brand to a distorted view of whathe thought Republicans wanted.
Sarah Palin, 44, his moose-hunting, shopaholic running mate, was a genuine,red-hot political superstar. She could have reinforced McCain’s image as afree spirit by ignoring the Republican party base, which would have lovedher anyway as the mother of a Down’s syndrome baby and champion of thepro-life movement. The only time the Obama campaign came close to panic waswhen it thought she was going to usurp his message of change. Instead, shewas directed to become a snarling attack dog.
The more she was admired by Republican men for sticking it to Obama, the morewomen were reminded of the mean girl they had resented in school and hopedwould get her comeuppance. That day has come. McCain aides fell overthemselves last week to leak the most damaging material they could about the“hillbilly from Wasilla” who was too stupid to realise that Africa was acontinent, not a country.
It didn’t have to be that way. Karl Rove, Bush’s guru, had a far moresophisticated view of the American electorate than McCain. Bush campaignedas a “compassionate conservative” in 2000 and expanded his electorate in2004 by winning the votes of “security moms”, who were concerned about thewar on terror, and of a surprisingly high number of Hispanics and sociallyconservative African-Americans.
In the teeth of Republican opposition, Bush tried to pass an immigration billthat would have provided illegal immigrants with a path to US citizenship;and he appointed the most diverse cabinet in American history, with topposts going to Powell and Condoleezza Rice — to whom Obama acknowledges agreat debt. Bush’s daughter, Jenna, was married in Texas by anAfrican-American pastor, a friend and supporter who voted for Obama lastweek.
Bush won the support of Americans when he urged them to strengthen the forcesof freedom and democracy. But he lost their confidence when he failed tolive up to their idealistic image of themselves.
The most dramatic plunge in his approval ratings came after Hurricane Katrinastruck New Orleans less than a year into his second term in office. HisWhite House staff failed to notice the squalid mess in the Superdome whilehe flew over the flooded city by plane, looking down on the little peopleleft to struggle below. The bodies of African-Americans rotted in thestreets for days as members of the National Guard calmly looked on and atetheir sandwiches. That wasn’t who Americans thought they were.
Throughout the two-year campaign, Obama tried to play down the idea that racemattered in America. Now that he has won and the nation is celebrating itsopen-mindedness, it is possible to admit just what a factor it was. But itwasn’t the negative drag on him that Democrats had feared. By electing him,the nation has turned the page on its past.
AS for me, the election has notched up yet another of the bizarre coincidencesin my life. Over the decades I’ve had the luck to be in the background ofsome momentous events in history. Not just my childhood in Alabama: I was inBerlin when the Wall came down; I was in the House of Commons when SirGeoffrey Howe stuck the knife into Thatcher; I partied with Nelson Mandelaat his election victory celebrations; and then came the Twin Towers, whichlurched back into my memory as I watched Obama make his victory speech atGrant Park in Chicago.
Newspaper reporters were kept away from the crowd, but I sneaked into thetelevision enclosure and stationed myself discreetly at the foot of thestand. Quite by chance Henry Porter, the London editor of Vanity Fairmagazine, had the same idea and we ended up next to each other.
I had almost forgotten about Henry, whom I hadn’t seen in years. But Isuddenly remembered with a jolt that he was responsible for my presence inAmerica.
In the 1990s we had presented a programme together on Radio 4 called OpenMind. When Henry moved to New York temporarily, we recorded a couple ofshows from Manhattan. One afternoon I took the ferry around the harbour withJane Beresford, the producer. I told her that my grandmother, an immigrantfrom central Europe, had come through Ellis Island in 1902. Years later,back in London, Jane asked me to record a Radio 4 programme about thehistory of Ellis Island. As part of it we would look up my grandmother’srecords.
I had just had my son Max and had returned to work at this newspaper’s Londonoffice. I really wasn’t sure I could fit in Jane’s idea. But I suddenly hada flash of inspiration. I would not only record the programme; I would askThe Sunday Times to send me as a correspondent to America.
Six months later I was on my way to New York. Jane and I set a date forrecording the programme. We resolved to meet at the southern tip ofManhattan to catch a ferry to Ellis Island on the morning of September 11,2001.
There we were, just a few blocks away from the World Trade Center as theplanes struck. Jane, who had arrived ahead of me, saw the second plane swooplow over Battery Park and bury itself in the tower (I only heard theexplosion). She immediately called the BBC and was one of the first peoplein the world to broadcast what she saw.
It was a surprise, to say the least, to find myself standing next to Henry atanother moment in history. I am not superstitious, but I would like to takethe opportunity to say thanks, Henry. Without you I wouldn’t have been here.
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African-Americans trend strongly Democrat. The Democrat candidate typically gets 80-90% of the African American vote.
Hmmm,JB,#1,your list of people ‘wanting Obama’ conveniently omitted 52% of the population - plus many ‘influential Republicans’ who now claim to be ‘proud’ that Obama won.Where’s your objectivity,obviously not as clearly displayed as Sarah’s?
Clinton’s people will damage Obama. He needs to honor liberal expectations and restore freedom.
Most conservatives are glad John McCain lost. Only by clearing the decks of neocon, big government detritus can conservatives become reenergized. Palin/Jindal in 2012.
obama could have run a 1 word campaign against mccain and still won. Change, would have been enough and thats bascially all he said, along with the odd positive speech. his policies however are likely to be disastrous. a mixture of hebert hoover and clement attlee in the white house isnt good.
America is not great *because* it elected Obama. It was already great and Americans have always known that. Obama’s election is proof that our society’s evolution on racial issues is decades if not centuries ahead of Europe’s. Instead of condescendingly congratulating us, Europe should be humbled.
To paraphrase Mencken, you all wanted change, so don’t complain when you get it good and hard
The nation as it really is? You must be kidding. Just because the media, television and movie stars and the east coast political establishment wanted Obama doesn’t mean the whole country has changed. Look at the figures objectively and you begin to see that the victory has many people cold.
Blind leading the blind
I am more than ready to see that cowboy mentality go home to Texas. Obama begins our future with an "intellectual vigor" as Colin Powell stated. I have never been so embarrassed to have Bush as my President. Now I can stand straight and tall and be proud again to be a U.S. citizen.
Mary, San Clemente CA, U.S.
As an American I’m astonished by many of the posts left here by some of my fellow Americans. Let me give you my take on BO’s election. The long eight year nightmare is over. Optimism reigns in America and we all are looking forward to the change in administrations.
Whenever a politician is categorized as another John Kennedy, the hair on the back of my neck stands up. Kennedy was a myth created by his handlers and a self indulgent press corps. His inexperience nearly led the United States into a nuclear war with Russia. His 1000 days accomplished little.
I appreciate the positive press: but if Europeans can change their minds overnight on the US, it shows how superficial and unsophisticated their understanding is. Nothing comes out of a vacuum. Obama emerged because the US has been the fairest and most open society in the world for decades.
Welcome back America?! Where have we been?
John Ashcraft, Osage City, United States of America
Barack is yet to be tested as a man and as a presi, he’ll need time to settle in, make mistakes, reveal his weaknesses, stand by his decisions etc. Yes, most urban blacks gave him the vote; however, if there were two or more black candidates for other parties he wouldn’t have had all 95% of votes!
"Joe the plumber" is "working-class" or "blue-collar" only in the broadest sense of the terms. He is also a small business operator; his issues were the same as those of any large corporation. We didn’t hear from an emblematic member of the real working class (white or otherwise) — wage-earners.
If 95% of America’s blacks voted for Obama, is that not prima facie evidence of racism among the black electorate? After all, had they voted the national average of 53%, McCain would have won.
I like it better when English and European Anti-Americanism is not hidden in false praise and adoration. We Americans know you-all will revert-to-type when it’s convenient and the chips are down. We expect nothing from you but the backs of your hands, and that’s all we’ll ever get.
And lest we forget that since 9/11 the USA has not been attacked again; this during the Bush-Rumsfeld-Cheney-Rice period. My left-wing friends in the USA have been complaining about living in a ‘police state:’ would a real dictatorship have allowed this free election to take place?God Bless America.
I am a Democrat but perhaps we should not bash the Republicans too much. They have their role to play and not all of their polices were bad. We need a loyal opposition to keep us grounded. Also, let us allow them to re evaluate their policies.
What do you mean, "welcome back?" We were never gone. It was your perception of us that was distorted.
As a proud American - and not a BO supporter- listen up Eu..the US is changing its number to non published. When you get in trouble, and you will, we will not be taking any calls, nor will be assisting any customers at this time…
Over 50% of Americans voted for Obama. We can only hope and pray that with better education, more Americans will reject the party of ignorance. It may take time to reverse the disastrous policies of that party, but I still believe in the American dream, after all these years.
Jean Winters, Boca Raton, FL, U.S.A.
I’m delighted to see Obama win. But it is worth remembering that, despite the mess on every front left by the republicans after eight years, and despite an absurd and completely unqualified candidate for vice-president, almost 50% of voters cast their vote for McCain/Palin and against Obama/Biden.
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December 2nd, 2008 by admin | Posted in Other | Comments (0)
