“Yes We Can, Yes We Did”, “One Nation, One Celebration”, The Fervor Continues
This year, I voted in a presidential election for the first time. This year, I understood and discussed the presidential election, its candidates from both major parties and the issues at stake. The last time a new president was elected in America I was too young to vote and too young to be intuitively aware of the challenges and concerns the country faced. Apart from my increased capacity to participate, this year was different.
The difference, I believe, can be understood from the perspective of a university student. While not all college-aged Americans voted for Barack Obama, the Democratic Party candidate, a clear majority did. Obama’s opponent was John McCain, the Republican Party candidate. The Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement estimates that youth vote favoured Obama by more that 2-1.
I am a third-year student at George Washington University in Washington DC. My campus is located approximately four blocks from the White House and two blocks from the State Department. On election night, not unlike Americans across the country, I came back from work and watched TV. I watched as the major cable news channels covered voting procedures, made early predictions, and eventually announced state-specific results as polls started closing across the nation. At 11 pm eastern standard time, Barack Obama was declared the 44 th President-elect of the United States.
By 11:15 pm, my friends and I decided to walk to the White House. We were ecstatic and proud from having participated in a historic election. And we wanted to participate in something bigger than ourselves, something that symbolised the moment collectively and paralleled a celebration of the collective action that exists in voting and democratic elections. In front of the White House was pandemonium.
Hundreds of students had gathered along Pennsylvania Avenue, separated from the White House by a single fence. Most of these students were from my university. Each person had only about six inches of standing room. It was raining and cold. Yet, each person’s face exhibited immense joy. Smiles never ended, cheering never ceased. Strangers gave each other high-fives and hugs. If I close my eyes and imagine that night again, I can still feel the qualities of that emotional experience. Everyone was hopeful and their emotions were intensified by a shared understanding that everyone else felt the same way. Running was more appropriate than walking. Shouting more than talking. Dancing rather than standing still. What we were celebrating was not just the victory of one candidate over the other, but a deep-felt celebration of the process of democracy and how it had manifested within our individual voting privileges.
Many of the students present had worked on political campaigns, donated money, or spent time at voting drives and campaign rallies. Others had been fans for more than two years. Still more had engaged in lively debates and arguments with their roommates and peers and parents on what change meant for the United States and how Barack Obama could be that needed catalyst. Bill Clinton and George W Bush were presidents of another generation. Obama has the chance to be our President, beholden to our interests and understanding of our perspectives on the world and our present and future needs.
As an international relations major, my classes predominantly focus on discussions and analyses of world trends, new security issues and altered perspectives on global development and discourse. The world is changing; it is becoming more complex. Increased global interconnectedness has changed how economies grow, national security is preserved, diplomatic relations are constituted, energy solutions achieved and human capital and societal development expanded. Understanding these trends is part of my education, both in and outside the classroom. Through recognition of changed global and domestic needs and issues, the country was fairly unanimous on the need for a change in our political agenda and executive leader.
Electing a new President is always a risk. With no incumbent candidate, who previously served a term as President, change was an inevitable effect. Across campus, students worriedly discuss future employment opportunities, stock market tumbles, mortgage crunches, America’s threatened relationships abroad and the financial viability of attending graduate school. If we are going to take a risk and if we are going to face a change, why not vote for the candidate who is campaigning on a determination to execute a changed approach rather than just constitute a change. Obama is new to the political landscape of the United States. Many of us who gathered there are too. Obama has a diverse background. We also represent a large diversity. In his speech right after the election results were announced, Obama said, “This victory alone is not the change we seek — it is only the chance for us to make that change. And that cannot happen if we go back to the way things were. It cannot happen without you.” Obama wants us to help. We want to help too. In front of the White House, students shouted “yes we did,” an updated version of Obama’s campaign slogan “yes we can.” Obama’s administration will begin just as we start our adult lives. Right now, achievement in college and education is paramount. But, it is not enough. We all want jobs and successful livelihoods. We all want futures we had a part in creating. We voted with all that in mind.
On the night of the 2008 US presidential election, I was in front of the White House. From the assortment of mental images and emotions from that night, I will never forget the chanting. Cheers of “OBA-MA” erupted spontaneously as hundreds of students celebrated until three in the morning. Students sang the American anthem and other patriotic songs that we never hear apart from sporting events and last sang in grade school. In a gathering symbolic of faith in democracy and the individual power in voting and while a Republican President occupies the White House, just a few feet away a thousand students celebrated their joy in ushering in this Democratic Party candidate.
Collected Via Emails
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