The United States has done itself proud by electing Barack Obama as its next president, proving that race in the country is at last less important than ability and suitability. The candidate who demonstrated superior competence by running a better campaign, by choosing a credible running mate, and by electrifying his support base with novel methods of mobilisation (three million financiers and volunteers!), deserved to get the vote—and did. The winner campaigned on a platform that focused on health care assurance, education and a middle-class tax cut; the loser campaigned more on the strength of his bio-data. It is understandable that voters chose the first.
This election is historic not only because Mr Obama is an African-American (he is not Black in the true American sense of the term because his mother was White and his father a Kenyan national), but also because it energised new sections of voters, witnessed a record turnout, and has been the most emphatic victory in decades, pulling Republican strongholds into the Democrat net. It is also notable because Mr Obama is more Blue than Black, in that he is the first true liberal to win a presidential election since John Kennedy in 1960, and even Kennedy was more pragmatist than liberal idealist.
Mr Obama could be a transformational leader who lifts politics to a higher plane, and addresses with intelligence and commitment the many challenges faced by his country and the world. But what you see of presidential candidates is often not what you see subsequently in presidents (George W Bush campaigned as a ‘compassionate conservative’ and wanted a more modest USA on the world stage; and Abraham Lincoln did not campaign to abolish slavery). Mr Obama’s own campaign went through stages: the initial anti-Iraq war platform had to be pushed into the shadows when the ‘surge’ began to show success; the centrist politician soon morphed into the standard liberal that his Senate voting record suggests he is—and that has rarely made for good politics from the Indian perspective. It is as well to remember that he is no ‘soft’ touch; when the McCain campaign got tough and dirty, Mr Obama did not hesitate to pay back in kind while maintaining a personal equanimity and indeed being personally above the battle. And when it became clear that his private funding could easily outstrip the limits linked to state funding, he abandoned without ado his earlier position that he would take state funding on a matter of principle. So never forget that you are dealing with a politician, and a very good one at that.
Still, it is reassuring that, for someone who has never held executive office, he has demonstrated good organisational skills, a cool temperament and the ability to pick a good team. He is certainly presidential, always dignified, excellent in his choice of words, and with the gravitas required for high office. He is intelligent, honest, disciplined, rooted in his family, and willing to address issues squarely. He has won the goodwill and acclaim of millions of people of other nationalities, which should help him shape foreign policy. He has the visionary in him, and seems focused on elevated goals and the common good. In short, Mr Obama has the potential to be a great president. In America’s and the world’s interest, it must be hoped that he realises that potential.
