A New Belief in Government
Quick side note: I really wish I had more time motivation to blog. I’ve gone from posting every day or two to posting once in a couple of months, which is so antithetical to the very point of having a blog. I will try to write more, even if it requires me to branch out on topics.
President Obama. President Barack Hussein Obama. 2 months and 19 days after the election, 3 days after the inauguration, it still hasn’t quite sunk in. After all of those long years of Bush, all those months of CNN evenings waiting for primary results, all those calls and door-knocks, he did it. We did it. No more “Yes We Can.” Make that “Yes We Did.”
The Obama campaign was an exhilarating roller coaster. It was a year and a half of high and low emotions, both distant and invested. The times when he almost didn’t get the nomination, the times when it was hard to believe his lead in the polls, the anticipation of election results, accompanied by the terror that all the polls would be wrong once again. Fortunately, the fears were not to be, and today we can all proudly proclaim him as President Obama. It feels awesome to just say it. To see him sitting in the Oval Office.
But Obama is not where it begins or ends. Obama is just a symbol of this new generation. Obama’s rise has made me think about my perspective on politics. And how much it has changed.
About two years ago, I had no idea who Barack Obama was. When Barack Obama declared his candidacy for the Democratic nomination, I had no idea who Barack Obama was. About a month before the Iowa caucuses, I started to think that I might like this guy. By the time of Super Tuesday, he was my favorite for the nomination. By the time of the Pennsylvania primaries, I was positively gushing over the guy. By the time of the election, it was personal. But even after campaigning for him in Nevada, calling people in Missouri, watching him get elected on November 4, and seeing Berkeley turn into one giant party, there remained that small question in the back of my mind: when is he going to turn into a politician and it’ll be more of the same old?
I remember a distinct conversation with a friend about how no intelligent man would ever pursue the American presidency. Today, I can happily say I’m wrong. Today, I can happily say that I have put aside my reservations about Obama showing his true colors and turning out to be a typical politician. It has been a pleasure to see the business-like transition and the first days of the transition – appointing competent people, creating an open and transparent government, reversing Bush’s unreasonable policies, and establishing that America’s ideals are its greatest strength. Today, I can happily say that I truly believe that government can do good, after all. And it is such a pleasure to be able to say that.
Over the years, people have lost trust in government’s ability to do good. The fact that I care about politics at all is remarkable, considering I grew up in the apathetic and corrupt political environment of India. But even people in the United States – the greatest functioning democracy in the world – are disillusioned. Nixon ruined the unbreakable trust in government. Reagan emphasized deregulation and a return to the individual. But whether it is the return of competent leadership to the White House, or the economic doomsday that has made people sit up and take notice, people are looking to government again for solutions.
And that’s what got me thinking. When I started becoming interested in politics a few years ago, it was mostly about ideological issues – oftentimes issues that people around me were passionate about, or big-ticket issues that everyone talked about, if only to sound intelligent. And that’s not a bad thing – it’s certainly better than nothing. That passion was fueled by JSA. In retrospection, the debates in JSA were so superficial and lacking, but they’re a lot more than I could have achieved otherwise in high school, so no regrets. But then college happened. College was good – there were more people who gave a shit about the world around them. I joined the Cal Democrats. It was the first time that I had gone past the “liberal” tag and actually identified myself with a partisan group.
And that’s how I got involved with Obama. While much of senior year was spent following the progress of this guy on CNN, college gave me a chance to make it personal. I went to Reno to campaign for him, ran a phonebank, made calls myself. The political cause becomes that much more important when you’re part of something larger than yourself. And it felt good. It felt so good, that I wanted more after the election. And that got me thinking.
So, after this long-winded regurgitation of my political life/thoughts/career, I kind of get to my point. I think I’ve realized that politics is not just about elections. It’s not just about government and it’s not just about corrupt leaders. It’s not just about power. It’s not just about legislation. Politics is about the people around us. At least in this country – the world’s greatest democracy – politics is so much more about creating a sustainable nation. Sure, elections and getting competent people into power is a big part of it. But that’s not where it ends – that’s just the beginning. Legislation has to be shaped and lobbied for. Messages need to be communicated and explained, from the academics at Berkeley to the soccer moms of the South. Leaders need to be trained, for today and for tomorrow. The community has to be united in its efforts to create a better lifestyle for every one of its members.
One thing that has impressed me about Barack Obama more than anything else is that he doesn’t think he’s the solution to our problems. Instead, he recognizes that the people are the solution to their own problems – but what they need is a leader. A year ago, as a high school senior, I looked upon community service as a resume title. Today, as a freshman in college and an involved resident of the United States, I look upon community service as an essential component of our role as citizens and residents of this nation.
I don’t know whether I want to pursue a career in politics, one way or another. What I do know is that I can never escape politics for the rest of my life. I might never run for office, I might never work on a campaign…but I will always strive to create a better community, to be informed about the course of our nation, and strive to create new leaders.
The youth did not rise up for Barack Obama. The youth rose up to say that it’s our turn – we give a shit and we want our turn at shaping this country. And I want to be a part of that movement. Thank you, Barack Obama. You might not be a messiah, but you’ve inspired a nation to return to its roots and rebuild itself on the very ideals it is based on – hard work, liberty, equality.
