Why I am rooting for Obama

This will be my last post on Raid for a while; at least a year, most likely. I'll be focusing all my writing energy on my web novel and the (temporary) new version of Chronicles of the Ephemeral. But I didn't want to end here on such a negative note, so I just wanted to quickly enumerate the reasons why I was not, after all, sad or disappointed or troubled that Obama won, and why I'll be rooting for him wholeheartedly in the months and years to come.

1) He inspires people. When I hear the way some people talk about him, like he's going to save the country and fix everything that's wrong, my first reaction is a roll of the eyes (usually strictly internal.) But my second reaction is, hey, almost none of the heroes of the human race are as golden and shiny as their devotees believe them to be. If I had to guess, I'd say most of them achieved whatever they achieved by a combination of charisma, some particular talents, luck or the blessing of God, and dedication to their own vision. I figure it takes at least three out of those four things to make a hero the public will revere; conversely, with at least three out of those four things, a person stands a good chance of being honored by history. So, cool. Barack Obama certainly has charisma and talent, he's been favored up to this point, whether you believe it's luck or divine blessing, and I'd give at least fifty-fifty odds that he's genuinely dedicated to the vision he communicates so well. At the very least, he's appealing in a way that will bring many bright, energetic, idealistic people to work on his side, and that's a good thing.

2) He's multiracial. It really does feel good to break the "white male" monopoly on our highest political office. And when I saw the reactions of thousands of African-Americans on election night, and as I've heard in the following days the comments of African-Americans I know personally, I have to rejoice on their behalf. A group of our fellow countrymen who have felt bitterly disenfranchised for a long, long time finally get to see one of their own at 1600 Penn. Ave. That's a beautiful thing.

3) He's the first president we've had whose name is in iambs.

What?

Iambs. As in, "iambic pentameter." You know, one of the most common metrical feet in English?

Umm, right. What?

No, seriously. I think it's cool. For totally frivolous reasons, sure, but also for some slightly serious ones. Most of our presidents have had trochaic names: Millard Fillmore, Grover Cleveland, Jimmy Carter. That's because most English names are trochaic, or dactylic if three syllables (Abraham). Barack Obama, on the other hand, is iambic.

Aaand, why is that important again?

Okay, mostly I just think it sounds nice. But if you want me to get serious, I'll say this: it's another way that our new president-elect reflects the diversity of the American people. There are a lot of Americans named Robert and William, to be sure, but there are also a lot of Americans named Fernando and Deshawn and Manisha. I was startled this year to see, among signs for Frank Wolf and Judy Feder, "Neeraj Nigam for Congress." After blinking in surprise for a few minutes, I snapped my brain out of its Anglo-Saxon heritage filter and said, Oy! Why not? Nigam didn't win, but Obama did, and that's a step in the right direction.

4) He looks good, he talks good. Yep, this one really is frivolous. But hey, George W. Bush has been our public face on the international scene for eight years, and even if you don't hate his policies, you've got to admit he didn't win us any coolness points. Barack Obama wins us serious coolness points.

5) This is the most important reason I'm rooting for Obama, the one that would prevail even if all the other reasons don't exist. He's going to be our president. We gave him the job, and it's not an easy one. For his sake, for his family's sake, and for all our sakes, I'm hoping to see him do it well.