The Meaning of a Milestone

[babylonsister]

http://www.newsweek.com/id/140217

The Meaning of a Milestone

Obama exceeded expectations. Can he raise them, too?


Barack Obama's life and rise to prominence in American politics:picture gallery at link...

By Ellis Cose | Newsweek Web Exclusive
Jun 5, 2008 | Updated: 4:58 p.m. ET Jun 5, 2008


It all began with a speech at the Democratic National Convention during which a political newcomer named Barack Obama introduced himself as "a skinny kid with a funny name who believes that America has a place for him." It was July 2004, and that was so very long ago. Since then Obama has convincingly shown that America is more than willing to carve out a place for him. Along the way he has rewritten the book on campaign financing and fostered hope for a new brand of American politics.


snip//

Some of the concerns about Obama will almost certainly subside as the nation becomes more comfortable with him and as he continues to reassure Americans that, in most essential respects, he is not that different from other mainstream Democrats. There is no reason to believe he cannot ultimately win over many of those working-class whites who, in many state primaries, overwhelmingly went for Clinton. Nor is there any reason to believe that the legions of the women who flocked to Clinton's cause will automatically shift their support to McCain. But Obama, indisputably, has a great deal to overcome, much of it rooted in preconceptions about who and what he is.

A decade and a half ago I wrote a book, "The Rage of a Privileged Class," that documented a widespread feeling among upper-middle-class blacks that the glass ceiling could simply not be breached, that certain positions (Fortune 500 CEOs, among them) were simply out of reach. History has proved that that ceiling can indeed be breached. Obama's candidacy is so exciting, in part, because it offers the promise of a future where no aspiration is out of bounds. Kenyan Prime Minister Raila Odinga saw worldwide implication in the rise of Obama, whose success, Odinga said, "will inspire us all to break the shackles of ethnic preoccupations in determining political leadership."

But the lesson of the first phase of the campaign is that the promised future is not yet here, and that symbolism can cut many ways. The racial symbolism that gives his black supporters hope, for instance, gives some others pause. And to succeed, Obama's campaign, though inherently rich with symbolism, has to be about much more than symbolism. It must make the case that his success will not merely lift aspirations for certain groups but will improve the lives of a majority of Americans, including those who are suspicious of him.

Obama has already shown he is capable of exceeding expectations. His challenge is now to show he is equally capable of raising them, of helping his doubters to see the promise in him that his supporters take for granted.

[OhioChick]

1. K&R

Thanks for posting.

:kick: