Melvin B. Miller
Editor & Publisher

A mature vision

Barack Obama soared to celebrity status after he delivered the keynote address at the 2004 Democratic National Convention in Boston. The theme of his speech struck a responsive chord among many Americans.

Most citizens of the United States are immigrants or the children and grandchildren of immigrants. As such, Americans can relate to Obama’s story. He is the son of a foreign student from Kenya and a white woman from Kansas. He stated, “My parents shared not only an improbable love; they shared an abiding faith in the possibilities of this nation.”

Then, in a profound affirmation of patriotism, Obama said, “I stand here knowing that my story is part of the larger American story, that I owe a debt to all those who came here before me, and that, in no other country on earth, is my story even possible. Tonight, we gather to affirm the greatness of our nation, not because of the height of our skyscrapers, or the power of our military, or the size of our economy. Our pride is based on a very simple premise, summed up in a declaration made over 200 years ago: ‘We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.’”

Obama was able to reconfirm the very nature of Americans. He said, “Alongside our famous individualism, there’s another ingredient in the American saga. A belief that we are connected as one people. … It’s that fundamental belief — I am my brother’s keeper, I am my sister’s keeper — that makes this country work. It’s what allows us to pursue our individual dreams, yet still come together as a single American family. ‘E pluribus unum.’ Out of many, one.”

In a rebuke to those who intend to divide, Obama asserted, “There’s not a liberal America and a conservative America — there’s the United States of America. There’s not a black America and white America and Latino America and Asian America — there’s the United States of America.”

Obama went on to extol Americans’ “audacity of hope,” the capacity to be optimistic when little in the present promises an abundant future. In fact, “The Audacity of Hope” became the title of his latest bestseller. With an appealing openness, Obama writes about his personal life, his family and his values. He leaves no doubt where he stands on philosophical issues.

“The Audacity of Hope” also puts to rest the question as to whether Obama has sufficient experience to be president. He has clearly absorbed the Federalist Papers and understands the thinking of the architects of the nation’s Constitution. He grew up in Indonesia, and developed a sensitivity to that part of the world. And as a student of U.S. foreign policy while at Columbia University, Obama is well aware of which State Department strategies succeeded and which failed. He is certainly more qualified than some occupants of the Oval Office to lead this nation in world affairs.

Regardless of the outcome of the 2008 race for the White House, Obama has to a great extent freed this nation from the incessant involvement with its racist past. His insistence in the Democratic keynote address that we are all together as citizens of the United States of America seems to have somewhat purged the nation of its historic affliction. Huge interracial crowds assemble to greet Obama on his campaign stops.

Obama has called Americans to respond to a new idealism. In the months ahead, he will undoubtedly put some meat on those philosophical bones. Whether or not Obama becomes the choice of the Democratic Party, he has certainly elevated the level of political discourse.

“Reading this, it’s clear that Obama is
more than just a pretty face…”