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Letter: Obama victory
With a resounding victory in the 2008 presidential election, it would seem Barack Obama, the first-term senator from Illinois, has taken the U
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With a resounding victory in the 2008 presidential election, it would seem Barack Obama, the first-term senator from Illinois, has taken the U.S. into adulthood.
By electing an African American as president, it is clear that the basic issue that led to the American civil war in the sixties of the last century and almost split the country into Union and Confederate following the abolition of slavery by president Lincoln, is behind them.
And what a coincidence that this first African American president should come from Illinois, the very state of Abraham Lincoln, who came to White House in 1860 to make it possible for a black American to contest and win at the White House, by abolishing slavery.
Throughout this campaign, president-elect Obama confronted issues boldly instead of evading them or skirting around them. The best example of this was his historic speech in Philadelphia in response to the irresponsible utterances of Reverend Wright. His response to the economic crisis was quick and practical.
He seems to be pro-poor and has promised to reduce the difference between the ultra-rich and abject poor. Most of the time, he spoke with his personal convictions, not bothering whether his comment would bring or lose votes for him. And I think in the end, this streak of honesty won him the presidency.
After a long time, a record number of voters voted in the political process to elect the president and a bulk of the credit for this goes to Obama.
Obama always reminded me of JFK and I admire him (Obama) as much as I admired JFK. And I fervently hope that unlike JFK, Obama remains in the White House for 8 years.
Obama has a special place in the hearts of Indonesians and people like me who have been in Indonesia for a long time. I hope the Indonesian Government converts the Jakarta house where he lived for a few years as a child into a national heritage site. It is an honor for Indonesia to be a country that taught Obama a thing or two in his formative years!
Little surprise that people of Kenya, where his father came from, are celebrating his victory as enthusiastically as the Americans are doing!
I hope Obama has a special soft corner for Indonesia and builds strong relations with the country where he spent his childhood.
K. B. KALE
Jakarta
