Obama…Against All Odds | |||
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When the race for the Democratic Party president ticket began, Senator Hillary Clinton was not just the front-runner but the presumptive nominee. She had the money and the Party establishment, being a former first lady and wife of arguably one of America's most loved and respected presidents, Bill Clinton. She had a long history of public service and an unmatched seniority within the Democratic Party and the Senate. When the Senate Armed Services Committee grilled in April General David Petraeus, then America's top commander in Iraq, members took turns according to their seniority. Clinton was the second to go while Obama had to wait until the very end to get the floor. The young, charismatic Illinois senator also had to steer his ship through some tough storms. Obama's middle name, Hussein, and a picture of him in a traditional Somali garb during a visit to his father's homeland Kenya in 2006 stoke the "Obama is a Muslim" flames. For weeks, he had to put up with news reports and rival remarks of being a Muslim in disguise. Obama is the son of a Muslim-turned-atheist Kenyan father and a white American mother that did not practice religion. Born in Hawaii, he lived from ages 6 to 10 in Indonesia with his mother and Muslim stepfather. Obama, who describes himself as a proud follower of the Trinity United Church of Christ, also stumbled for weeks over inflammatory sermons by Rev. Jeremiah Wright, his pastor for the last 20 years. Last week, Obama withdrew from his Trinity United Church of Christ on Chicago's south side after months of controversy over racially laced pulpit rhetoric. Even his wife Michelle was not spared the campaign fire. He recently had to come out in force against Republicans using her as punch-bag. Making History But Obama's hope and change message resonated across a country wearied by the Iraq war and stalked by fears of recession. He not only beat all the odds but he actually dominated the Democratic race for months. Soon after the race started, he moved from the backseat to the driver's wheel. Rivals were bowing out, primaries and caucuses were being won, campaign money was pouring in and Clinton was racing to stay relevant. The man who just four years ago served in the Illinois state Senate was able to end a 16-year of Clinton family dominance over the Democratic Party. He rocketed to prominence at the 2004 Democratic presidential convention with an electrifying call for unity. "There is not a Black America and a White America….there's the United States of America." Four years on, Obama is making history as the first African American to lead a major party into the White House race. Jesse Jackson, a two-time US presidential candidate and long-time black civil rights leader, lauded Obama's nomination victory as a "transformational moment." "It is a fulfilling moment to be in Africa trying to reconcile two continents so savagely torn apart by the slave trade…as a son of America and Africa becomes the de facto Democratic Party nominee," he told Reuters from Tanzania. "Obama's success marked a major milestone for the nation -- a sign of the racial progress that has taken place during the span of the senator's lifetime," wrote the Washington Post. The Chicago Tribune, in Obama's home state of Illinois, said his victory marked a moment "bearing history's weight and the future's promise." Now the million-dollar question is: Can a black candidate be elected US president? Obama seems to have the answer. "America, this is our moment," he told thousands of chanting and cheering supporters in Minnesota. "This is our time. Our time to turn the page on the policies of the past." |
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