“Change we can Believe In” is the campaign motto from Senator and Presidential candidate Barack Obama.
There’s no doubt Americans have left me, until this moment, astonished with the elections turnout.
Caring little about snow and cold, citizens from Iowa and New Hampshire have responded to the civic call to polling attendance.
Perhaps motivated by a fervid desire to make a real change in national politics, after the dissastrous George W. Bush’s administration, voters have gone to polls in record numbers.
The American people’s change is leading towards the Democratic Party side.
Three are the real options in this political institution — John Edwards, Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, although the last two ones have been seen as the leading candidates on the Democratic Party.
New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson, the only Latino candidate, has decided to make a stop on his campaign and go back to Albuquerque.
But who really represents the American Melting Pot in U.S. culture is Obama.
His mother is a white woman from Kansas and his father is a Kenyan national and former soldier on WWII.
The Illinois Senator was born in Hawaii and in 1985 reached Chicago, where he worked as community organizer with a Church group, which looked for the betterment of poor neighborhoods filled of crime and unemployment.
Obama is an Ivy League professional who obtained a law degree from Harvard University, where he made it as President of the Harvard Law Review magazine, the first African American in that position.
For eight years, Obama was a State Senator from Illinois and became a federal one in 2004.
Four years ago, Obama attracted the eyes from the American people because of his speech during the Democratic National Convention.
According to Senate records, the first Obama law approved at the Highest Legislative Chamber was the one that forced government to be electronically transparent, and was part of the ethics reform too, thanks to his abililty to work both with Democrats en Republicans.
From civil rights to education, Irak, health care, and even immigration, Obama seems as the best fitting candidate for President.
Of course he will have to deal as White House resident with Congress, but that’s something he knows pretty well how it works.
The Hillary Clinton campaign recalls a lot to other Latin American women leaders like Evita Perón, Cristina Fernández or even Martha Sahagún, the former Mexican First Lady who tried to succeed Vicente Fox as President, supported all of them by their husbands or using their husband’s ‘brand’ names.
The Foxes called themselves during the last Mexican administration the ‘Presidential Couple.’
By voting Clinton, Americans are fulfilling the former Mexican President’s dream, but on the U.S. side and way.
Mrs. Clinton seemed like a Bill Clinton’s clone when delivering her New Hampshire “victory” speech, which she totally read.
Her hand waving, smiles and even her finger-pointing to followers brought a déjà vu to my brain back from the 1992 and 1996 presidential campaigns.
On the contrary, Mr. Obama said every single word from the bottom of his heart that same night. That left an impression of honesty, sincerity.
By going back to the White House, the Clintons might give continuity to their own Presidential project, and for that, they need tons of money.
Mrs. Clinton’s political thirst has no limits — until Sept. 30, she had on her campaign bank accounts almost $91 million.
With a No-Dollar-Left-Behind-approach philosophy, Mrs. Clinton has accepted contributions from conservative organizations like Stop Union Political Abuse and Republican Issues Committee, both of them standing against workers political contributions.
By the way, both organizations have their address at 38172 Lost Lane in Purcellville, Virginia.
On the other hand, partly due to Obama’s active role in the formation of the Culinary Workers Union, the labor organization Unite Here —which has about 1 million members— has decided to endorse the Illinois Senator this same week.
Obama marched along with the Union’s membership years ago when the Plaza Chicago Hotel strike arose, which is the reason why today the Union pays back Obama’s support.
Only in Nevada itself, the Culinary Workers have around 60,000 members, most of them working at the Las Vegas Strip and ready to cast ballots in favor of the Senator and Presidential wannabe.
Unite Here committed to support Obama in other states, giving the Hawaiian a very strong impelling towards “Real Change”, without caring this week’s election results.
Mainstream media have informed the public about a supposedly Obama’s defeat in New Hampshire.
But let’s take a look to hard data.
Several polls on the previous primary election said the Illinois Senator had a 10 point lead over Mrs. Clinton.
The dirty job done by Bill Clinton —who in case his wife turns him back to the White House will give him way more chances to go behind interns— and the public crying from Hillary Clinton, who said as woman it was more difficult to campaign, had an emotional effect among New Hampshire voters.
But those arguments are simply baloney.
Although I recognize women are in fact underscored in many ways, that’s unique for working mothers and female professionals.
For such a top politician, this is not the case, excuse me.
With her tears, the New York Senator only shows political weakness and leaves us all with a sense that behind a great man, there is a great woman. But the fear is the New York Senator will always stay hidden on her husband’s back.
Also, Mr. Clinton said continously during the New Hampshire campaign Obama has no experience to be President.
Perhaps the former White House resident refers to Obama’s legislative-only experience.
But he forgot John Fitzgerald Kennedy, a Democrat too, neither had government expertise when he aspired to Presidency.
In expertise talking, George W. Bush had very good background as Texas Governor, and you see what has happened over the course of his administration.
Now that, in order to compensate this supposed lack of experience, Obama can invite Richardson as his Vicepresidential candidate, shaping the Democratic duo into a hard-to-defeat ticket.
Although the dirty campaigning from the Clintons in New Hampshire, the Illinois Senator was less than 8,000 votes ahead from Mrs. Clinton.
During most of 2007, the former First Lady was ahead on polls, even leading on September by 23 points, according to CNN and Rasmussen.
Out of the 236 cities and towns where New Hampshire voters cast ballots, Obama defeated Mrs. Clinton in 131.
The final results gave each one of them nine delegates. That means they ended, in fact, tied in New Hampshire.
Obama is still ahead in elected delegates with 25, one more than Clinton.
In total, a candidate requires 2,025 delegates to become the Presidential nominee.
In the next few weeks, members of the main political parties in the country will head towards polling places in states like Michigan, Nevada, South Carolina, and Florida.
But the greatest dish for the 2008 political banquet is Super Tuesday, on Feb. 5, when more than 20 states will hold primary elections or caucuses.
Among these states, the main ones —due to their number of delegates— are California, Illinois, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Minnesota, and Tennessee.
By Super Tuesday night, around 40 percent of delegates will have been chosen.
Obama is the real option not only for Americans, but for Planet Earth’s citizens.
In front of him the Presidential couple will fight hard to stop his ascending career.
Could Barack and Michelle be able to pass the hurdle?
Let us cross our fingers…and ballots.
