Obama and i

I saw him on TV when he declared his bid for the presidency in the old statehouse of Springfield Illinois two years ago. And since then, I have been keenly observing and studying his campaign and the US presidential election process. Now, America made history by electing the first African-American President Barack Obama.

Here are some thoughts about how the US elections affected me.

First is his charisma. I found Obama profoundly interesting because of the magnetism of his persona. I just instantly feel the connection and magnetism of his personality. And I believe this is one key element that defined his optimistic political image. His innate ability to project authenticity and passion made it easy or him to inspire people to mobilize for his cause. And most importantly, he used his charisma to deliver a message of hope, not just of what a nation could become but what individual people could achieve.

Second is his ability to clearly articulate the promise and the great ideals held deeply by a nation. Obama is a brilliant orator, using precise words that paint an image of an ideal America which listeners immediately can relate to. And I believe he proved that the power of words could truly inspire and mobilize an entire community.

Third is the brilliance of his political machinery. Obama ran a brilliant campaign by tapping the technologies of the 21^st century. His online funding and communities and SMS messaging proved to be very highly effective in informing and mobilizing voters. Aside from these, his campaign’s strategy of “bottom-up” movement or community organizing proved highly effective in encouraging people to vote. This grassroots movement made Obama a sort of populist that made him a man of common Americans. This proves that technology, when used properly can bring about tremendous progress in the life of a democracy.

I feel quite honored observing his campaign and connected to the celebrations of his victory even though I am not an American and I live half a globe away. For me, he symbolizes a universal idea of hope and all other great ideals humanity stands for. These ideals which he brilliantly articulated reminded me of my own ability to achieve, my own ability to aspire, my own ability to bring about change. Embracing these ideals made me aware of my own fears and doubts about the world. And I know that as a citizen of the world, in a world facing so many odds, the last thing I need to think of are fear and cynicism.

Lastly, I hope and pray that that this new leadership of the most powerful nation on earth will lead the whole world to where it is meant to be. And I know this all starts in me. It starts in us. And Yes, we can!

I stand together with other young idealists of the world in congratulating Barack Obama, President -elect of the United States of America.