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Not Skin Deep

At last! America cast its vote and what a monumental event it was for the nation, and the world. The triumph of Barack Obama is historic and unforgettable on many levels, but it is not about race or gender or age.

The victory lies in the courage of Americans to vote for difference and not more of the same. John McCain would have been the easy option, he looks right, sounds right, he has a history that Joe the Plumber can understand without distraction from the ball game. Anyone could have voted for McCain with their eyes shut tight, to vote for Obama you had to think. Obama challenges you before he has even spoken a word. He is elegant, articulate, visionary, charismatic yet humble, compassionate and not white. Nor is he black, although the world's media will have you believe otherwise.

Obama is truely an outsider, his unusual upbringing and life story makes it impossible to pin him down or label him. No name would stick and it was this that gave him his strength. Obama truly embodies the diversity of America, the richness of cultures and the aspirations of all. Without affinity to any one group, he stands outside the circle and looks in, independently observing and listening. During the electoral campaign the American people and the world's media have grappled with Obama's lack of classification, often desparately trying to mould and squeeze him into a box with a familiar stereotype. It's human nature to look for short cuts, to avoid treating everyone as an individual, far easier to label, judge and classify as OK / not OK. But Americans rose to the challenge of getting under Obama's skin and worked hard to truly understand the truth about the man who will now be their president in 2009. And credit is also due to John McCain who attempted to set the record straight when lazy voters misclassified his opponent and his gracious words congratulating Obama on his presidential victory shows that he too is a man of character.

As a nation of immigrants America has made the right choice by electing a political outsider who defies boundaries and expectations. As Obama's website says "he still believes in the ability to unite people around a politics of purpose - a politics that puts solving the challenges of everyday Americans ahead of partisan calculation and political gain".

We can all be sure that Barack Obama is American, he is president and he will make a difference.

Originally posted as a blog in Nov 2008.


© Kavita Copas 2009 All rights reserved

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