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Barack Obama, A Man of the People

IDEA Editorial January 22, 2009


Brack Obama was inaugurated as the first Black president of the United States on January 20th 2009. For this historic inauguration a million and half people converged in the Washington Mall. They have come to celebrate a new day in American history and the promise and hope for world peace. The huddled masses in that bitter cold open space instinctively understood that this man by the name Barack (“the blessed one”) Obama is one of them, of humble origin, and a man of the people. Those who could not pilgrimage to Washington DC viewed the inauguration via satellite TV from all corners of the world; from Pasadena, California, to New York, to the village where Barack’s father was born in Kenya, and to Obama City in Japan.

In his inaugural address, President Obama clearly delineated the foundation of new American policy and reassured the Moslem world that he would engage them in diplomacy and mutual respect. In regards to the economic crisis, after acknowledging the collective failure and individual greed as the main culprit, he reassured the American people that help is on the way and that solutions for the crisis will be met.

The inauguration of Barack Obama anticipates a historically posterior moment; it addresses not only the present generation but also future generations to come. The content, tone, and flavor of the inaugural address dialectically reveals new opportunities, including the revitalization of the domestic economy and the newly restructured US foreign policy. The inaugural speech, above all, embodied hope against despondency, and given the cogency and lucidity of Barack Obama’s spoken word, resonating beyond the horizon, the captivated global audience seems to capture the good will of the new American administration. The inaugural address was so powerful, not only in expanding the range of realities on the ground but also in evoking the emotions of all people at all levels. Barack Obama indeed is a man of the people!

I believe Barack Obama is the first genuine man of the people. Some historians argue that Andrew Jackson, the 7th president of the United States (1829-1837), was the first man of the people due to his humble origin in contrast to the aristocratic presidents that preceded him. Jackson was considered a war hero in the 1812 War, but he was a slave owner. Nevertheless, Jackson and Obama may have something in common; they are both agents of change and unity and both have inherited national debt. Jackson successfully paid off the national debt during his term in office; Obama is poised to do the same.

What makes Obama the real man of the people, long before he climbed the mountaintop, is that he was a community organizer first. In fact, when he danced in the Neighborhood Mall on January 20th, he symbolically represented the community-organizer turned senator turned president that is a commoner, a citizen, and a man of the people.

In his first day in office on January 21, true to his campaign promise, president Obama emphasized the new era of openness via transparency and rule of law as the ‘touchstone of his administration’. He stated, in no uncertain terms, that his administration would be holding everybody accountable. “We are public servants,” says Obama, and “public service is a privilege; it is not about advantaging yourself and your friends.” He declared, “We need to make the White House a people’s house.” If a man of the people enters the White House, it is highly probable that the latter could indeed become a people’s house.

In order for Obama to succeed, however, all of us, especially those in official capacity, must endorse his agenda, policies, and executive orders. All of us must engage creatively in solving America’s economic crisis and the problem of peace in some regions of the world such as Congo (DR), Darfur, Somalia, Gaza, and Afghanistan. Problems, big or small, cannot be solved individually. It requires a collective and communitarian effort, and a massive devotion on the part of citizens. The genius of overcoming problems is not mere psychological phenomenon occurring inside individual heads. It is actually triggered by the common effort and interaction of neighborhood people. We must understand that politics, political economy, and other human activity are gregarious, as a matter of course.

Therefore, Obama’s charisma, eloquence, and doggedness, and above all determination to bring about change could bear fruit only when we all exhibit some sense of perseverance and sacrifice. Let’s all embrace the man of the people, Barack Obama and lets all succeed together!

On behalf of IDEA, Inc.

Ghelawdewos Araia

All Rights Reserved. Copyright © IDEA, Inc. 2009. Dr. Ghelawdewos Araia can be contacted via dr.garaia@africanidea.org for constructive and educational feedback.