Today's announcement of Obama's electoral success, I believe was no surprise to many of us. One's success also means another's disappointment - McCain has my respect having fought hard and tried hard during the electoral campaigns.
Obama being elected as the President of the United States of America is not just about having a 44th President of USA. His election into the White House creates history - first black President, also the youngest ever person to be elected as the President of USA.
Having missed his maiden speech as the President, I had to settle for a transcript of his speech although I really would have loved to see him giving the speech live. Having witnessed his debate with McCain, I really like his charisma and his innate ability to speak sounding with confidence yet not sounding pompus, his unique ability to stay on the very fine line that divides confidence and arrogance.
Having the majority of Americans vote him clearly spells out one thing - they are ready for change. In his speech, he does not take credit for the win but instead gives the credit to people - the people who voted him. He acknowledges his responsibility to make the very changes people want. Most importantly, he addresses that long road ahead to make reforms - I quote from his speech, "The road ahead will be long. Our climb will be steep. We may not get there in one year or even in one term. But, America, I have never been more hopeful than I am tonight that we will get there. I promise you, we as a people will get there. There will be setbacks and false starts. There are many who won't agree with every decision or policy I make as president. And we know the government can't solve every problem.".
If it is one thing that he has shown to the world, it would be that nothing is impossible if one tries one's best and gives it his all. When he first started campaigning, hardly anyone knew who he was let alone think he was ever going to have a chance to win. I remember asking people about who they thought stood a better chance to win. Many whom I spoke to had their fingers pointing at McCain for one reason - because Obama is black. Clearly, his win sends a very clear message - the colour of one's skin has no relationship to one's capabilities.
His speech really does emphasises on how close to anything is possible - "And tonight, I think about all that she's seen throughout her century in America -- the heartache and the hope; the struggle and the progress; the times we were told that we can't, and the people who pressed on with that American creed: Yes we can.
At a time when women's voices were silenced and their hopes dismissed, she lived to see them stand up and speak out and reach for the ballot. Yes we can.
When there was despair in the dust bowl and depression across the land, she saw a nation conquer fear itself with a New Deal, new jobs, a new sense of common purpose. Yes we can.
When the bombs fell on our harbor and tyranny threatened the world, she was there to witness a generation rise to greatness and a democracy was saved. Yes we can.
She was there for the buses in Montgomery, the hoses in Birmingham, a bridge in Selma, and a preacher from Atlanta who told a people that "We Shall Overcome." Yes we can.
A man touched down on the moon, a wall came down in Berlin, a world was connected by our own science and imagination. And this year, in this election, she touched her finger to a screen, and cast her vote, because after 106 years in America, through the best of times and the darkest of hours, she knows how America can change. Yes we can.
America, we have come so far. We have seen so much. But there is so much more to do. So tonight, let us ask ourselves -- if our children should live to see the next century; if my daughters should be so lucky to live as long as Ann Nixon Cooper, what change will they see? What progress will we have made? This is our chance to answer that call. This is our moment. This is our time, to put our people back to work and open doors of opportunity for our kids; to restore prosperity and promote the cause of peace; to reclaim the American dream and reaffirm that fundamental truth, that, out of many, we are one; that while we breathe, we hope. And where we are met with cynicism and doubts and those who tell us that we can't, we will respond with that timeless creed that sums up the spirit of a people: Yes, we can."
I am not American and I probably will not be directly affected by his reforms but I definitely can learn from Obama's experience.
Can anyone be succesful in his/her own way? Yes they can.
Can we make a difference to the lives of the people around us? Yes we can.
When everything is down and just looking horribly out of place, when everyone else is saying you can't do it, we can get back on our feet and start walking with pride. Yes we can.
We can do anything as long as we set our minds to it and earnestly work towards our goals. Yes we can.
Obama being elected as the President of the United States of America is not just about having a 44th President of USA. His election into the White House creates history - first black President, also the youngest ever person to be elected as the President of USA.
Having missed his maiden speech as the President, I had to settle for a transcript of his speech although I really would have loved to see him giving the speech live. Having witnessed his debate with McCain, I really like his charisma and his innate ability to speak sounding with confidence yet not sounding pompus, his unique ability to stay on the very fine line that divides confidence and arrogance.
Having the majority of Americans vote him clearly spells out one thing - they are ready for change. In his speech, he does not take credit for the win but instead gives the credit to people - the people who voted him. He acknowledges his responsibility to make the very changes people want. Most importantly, he addresses that long road ahead to make reforms - I quote from his speech, "The road ahead will be long. Our climb will be steep. We may not get there in one year or even in one term. But, America, I have never been more hopeful than I am tonight that we will get there. I promise you, we as a people will get there. There will be setbacks and false starts. There are many who won't agree with every decision or policy I make as president. And we know the government can't solve every problem.".
If it is one thing that he has shown to the world, it would be that nothing is impossible if one tries one's best and gives it his all. When he first started campaigning, hardly anyone knew who he was let alone think he was ever going to have a chance to win. I remember asking people about who they thought stood a better chance to win. Many whom I spoke to had their fingers pointing at McCain for one reason - because Obama is black. Clearly, his win sends a very clear message - the colour of one's skin has no relationship to one's capabilities.
His speech really does emphasises on how close to anything is possible - "And tonight, I think about all that she's seen throughout her century in America -- the heartache and the hope; the struggle and the progress; the times we were told that we can't, and the people who pressed on with that American creed: Yes we can.
At a time when women's voices were silenced and their hopes dismissed, she lived to see them stand up and speak out and reach for the ballot. Yes we can.
When there was despair in the dust bowl and depression across the land, she saw a nation conquer fear itself with a New Deal, new jobs, a new sense of common purpose. Yes we can.
When the bombs fell on our harbor and tyranny threatened the world, she was there to witness a generation rise to greatness and a democracy was saved. Yes we can.
She was there for the buses in Montgomery, the hoses in Birmingham, a bridge in Selma, and a preacher from Atlanta who told a people that "We Shall Overcome." Yes we can.
A man touched down on the moon, a wall came down in Berlin, a world was connected by our own science and imagination. And this year, in this election, she touched her finger to a screen, and cast her vote, because after 106 years in America, through the best of times and the darkest of hours, she knows how America can change. Yes we can.
America, we have come so far. We have seen so much. But there is so much more to do. So tonight, let us ask ourselves -- if our children should live to see the next century; if my daughters should be so lucky to live as long as Ann Nixon Cooper, what change will they see? What progress will we have made? This is our chance to answer that call. This is our moment. This is our time, to put our people back to work and open doors of opportunity for our kids; to restore prosperity and promote the cause of peace; to reclaim the American dream and reaffirm that fundamental truth, that, out of many, we are one; that while we breathe, we hope. And where we are met with cynicism and doubts and those who tell us that we can't, we will respond with that timeless creed that sums up the spirit of a people: Yes, we can."
I am not American and I probably will not be directly affected by his reforms but I definitely can learn from Obama's experience.
Can anyone be succesful in his/her own way? Yes they can.
Can we make a difference to the lives of the people around us? Yes we can.
When everything is down and just looking horribly out of place, when everyone else is saying you can't do it, we can get back on our feet and start walking with pride. Yes we can.
We can do anything as long as we set our minds to it and earnestly work towards our goals. Yes we can.
I was simply pressing the TV controller button to see what's interesting over the 90 channels on Astro the other day...way before they were in a climax of fighting for the Presidential seat. I got caught by Obama's speech and little that I know after the speech, it actually made me sat in front of the TV and watch him giving speech. It was so powerful that I just sat there and watched.
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