Still, as so many commentators have noted, Obama’s candidacy took on a role greater than itself. That the streets of America reacted to his victory with impromptu enthusiasm demonstrates just how much his candidacy meant. The truth is, Obama has mediated a national therapy session about our eternal internal struggle, the duality of America, the heart of our country’s promise and its oft-unattainable nature that invites bitter criticism. Nov. 4th marked not only the next step toward more complete racial tolerance, but our collective reaffirmation of the American Dream.
We have always had an obsession with the grass on the other side. Our forefathers came to this country in search of something better. By their very nature, they were adventurers, opportunists looking to make it big or outcasts looking for a place to create their own communities. They shared that central feature that is vital to our national character: the desire for something better, a nagging feeling of dissatisfaction. It was this feeling that drove us west, and then to the Moon.
At the same time, the hybrid vigor that makes us strong also proves to be a great weakness. Unlike the Old World, which grounds itself in tradition and history, America forsakes stability for opportunity. When we throw off class culture we give up our sureness of purpose. Moreover, the frequent inaccessibility of the Dream creates resentment. One need only look to American literature to see our violent battle with the American Dream. Willy Loman and Horatio Alger have been grappling for our minds for decades.
In good times it is easy to believe in the Dream. It’s in the bad times that we need the strength and determination that it can supply. Even before economists and politicians stopped stalling and reluctantly adopted the word ‘recession,’ we knew this was a dark period in American history. A terrorist attack, a bloody foreign occupation and a steadily weakening economy have scarred us. Now, more than ever, we need to be buoyed up by the American Dream.
Consider Obama’s background; born in Hawaii to a white Kansan mother and a black Kenyan father, he has no solid roots in any one culture. In his life one can find nearly any aspect of the American Dream. Young man struggles with his identity, works hard, and rises to the top on his own merit. Obama’s claim of living the American Dream couldn’t be stronger if he had made it up.
Furthermore, his campaign took great pains not to pigeonhole Obama as a white or a black candidate, allowing the public to apply its own labels. As he has commented, he has become a blank screen onto which the public can project its hopes. Even the political slogan “Yes We Can!” is deliberately vague. This too has achieved meaning beyond itself, becoming more than just a political tag line. Yes we can what? Whatever satisfies our unhappy subconscious. “Yes We Can” was transformed into a cry for the restoration of the languishing American Dream.
With Obama as the hardworking everyman and embodiment of the American Dream, it is easy to see this past election as an affirmation of the American Dream. By voting for Obama, many people were rejecting the cynicism that has consumed us over the past decade. Obama was right to say that this election was about the American people, not just him. His candidacy served a therapeutic purpose, allowing the nation to deliberate on the meaning of hope, the American Dream, and whether we were ready to believe in ourselves again. Election Day marked our continued collective belief in the power of that promise.