I've never thought he was a bad guy. He's an American hero for sure, and I believe he deeply cares about our country. I don't agree with his policies or his choice for VP. Still, Senator John McCain is a good guy. This class act concession speech is a testament to that.
I don't think I've ever been more proud to be an American.
I know the hard work truly begins after Obama's inauguration, but I DO believe. I do have hope for a better day. We're seeing the start of it. We DID elect our President not based on the color of his skin, but on the content of his character. And we CAN work together - across all kinds of divides - to pull our country through these most challenging times and make this, yes, a more perfect union.
This speech is brilliant; this man and this new administration have so much potential. I'm committed to doing my part to help them help us move this country forward. YES, we can!
Sam Cooke, A Change is Gonna Come, 1964
It's been a long long time coming, but I know
A change is gonna come, oh yes it will
Barack Obama, Grant Park, Chicago, 2008
It's been a long time coming, but tonight, because of what we did on this day, in this election, at this defining moment, change has come to America.
"But in the unlikely story that is America, there has never been anything false about hope."
Since music is political even (maybe especially?) when it's not at all explicitly so (see this if you need further convincing), I hope you'll forgive me for hijacking this music blog for a quick political comment. The NH election is on my mind, and for anyone who's curious about how I've made sense of the surprise results, I wanted to direct you to my reply to my friend Julianne's (different) reaction.
p.s. in explicitly musical AND political news, I love that Obama digs Jay-Z & his great American Gangster album (he's just like me! ;) ).
