Making History May Be the Easy Part
By Wilton Hollins
People around the nation and the world are celebrating the accomplishments of Senator Barack Obama. History was made last night when Obama became the first African American to become the presumptive candidate of a major American political party.
African Americans were slaves 143 years ago; were forced to live in a segregated society less than fifty years and were guaranteed the right to vote only forty years ago. Now there’s and African American just one election away from being the President of the United States – the most powerful position in the free world.
Becoming the democratic presumptive nominee is a great achievement and as some will say a realization of the dream…not only Dr. King’s dream but the American Dream. But this achievement may prove to be the easy part.
Governing will be the challenge. Not only would he receive scathing attacks from the right side of the aisle which is to be expected, but he will receive them from within his own party. We can already see Hillary Clinton positioning herself to be the “I told you so” candidate. Instead on congratulating Barack on his historical accomplishment Tuesday night, she asked her supporters to go to her website and suggest what she should do now… (and while you’re on the website, send money). Hillary realizes Obama needs the white female and white blue-collar vote in order to be successful in November. Her reluctance to bow-out and bring the party together could be an indication of stonewalling and setting roadblocks to ensure his failure in the future.
A President Barack Obama will be constantly view through a microscope. Every decision made from the oval office whether it’s who will receive a state dinner up to every bill signed into law will be held to a higher standard. He will not receive the same latitude as those who occupied the office before him. Elements within the Democratic Party will be waiting for the first misstep.
I’m afraid that in order for an Obama presidency to be viewed as a success, he will have to walk on water and raise the dead…oh wait, they crucified the last man that did that.
