Twitter was buzzing last night about the Democratic National Convention opening night speeches. From the rousing sermon of Deval Patrick and cross cultural relativity of Julián Castro, to the intimate portrayal from Michelle Obama, it was a good night. Not too long after the kudos and “well dones”, the tone turned sour quickly. Most of it was focused on the love President Obama and his lovely wife share. As much as I would like to rehash the prevailing thoughts, it’s already been done. Instead, let’s focus on what a segment of Twitter overlooked; the reason for the speeches.
To say it’s a forgone conclusion that President Barack Obama (PBO) will win another term is to not deal with reality. There are forces at work that are sincerely opposed to PBO ever setting foot in the White House again. Some are opposed to him simply because of his policies. Others don’t like him as a person, though they don’t know him. There is the third contingent that don’t like PBO because of his ethnic heritage. While the mindset of the third group has been influenced by the first two, nobody will give it much credence if he wins another term. Given the prior eight years before President Obama entered office and the havoc it wreaked, we should give this man a chance to finish the job he started. All the sweeping rhetoric of last night is not going to make a difference if we don’t get out and vote. At no other time in my life have I felt like my decision will make a change into how this country will be run. Last night changed that.
Every. Single. Person has a stake in where this country is going. I don’t agree with every social and civil decision that our President has made. Most of what I don’t agree with flies in the face of certain biblical truths. However, President Obama has to govern a country that has strayed from the Bible anyway, so perhaps its moot. What is not moot is that this man who God either put in place, or allowed to ascend to this place SEEMS to be doing the best he can with the calamitous deck he was dealt.
His colleagues spoke of him and his policies in reverential terms, in contrast with Romney. His wife spoke of his character, his humanity, and what drives him. If these aspects of President Obama, and the changes he has made are not enough for this country, then perhaps there is no change the United States truly does believe in afterall.
The Chronic Storm 