One year ago, the youth of this nation proved we were “fired up and ready to go” as 24 million of us turned up at polling places to overwhelmingly support a candidate who we thought would bring the change we could finally believe in.
I was among them.
Like countless young Americans, I readily drank the Change-Aid and convinced others to become hope-mongers. I enlisted in a movement that sought to heal divisions, empower people and transform this country. Casting my first presidential vote for Barack Obama was momentous. But my nearly blind devotion to the Obama campaign was a rational decision.
After eight long years of incompetence, unilateralism, corruption, partisan rancor and fear-mongering, something — anything — different was demanded. But what was different about Obama was that he was someone you actually wanted to vote for. Personally, you had to be impressed by his eloquence, intelligence, coolness, optimism and energy. But more importantly, he successfully tapped into a feeling that dreams no longer had to be deferred, that change was achievable, and that it was still possible to care and believe in something again.
Have I kept the faith one year later?
It is easy to be discouraged. Health care reform and climate change legislation languish in Congress, where Democratic leaders seem only to squabble and squander opportunity. Men and women continue to die in Iraq and Afghanistan, while homosexuals still can’t serve openly. The president may have the won the Nobel Peace Prize, but Iran is waffling on the nuclear deal offered in Geneva, and Israel and Palestine are no closer to peace. Banks are still getting bailouts and giving out billions in bonuses, while jobs are still scarce.
But I didn’t vote for a perfect man, and I definitely didn’t expect radical change in the first 300 days of his term. Governing is a slow and incremental thing, and requires a leader who is conscientious and not myopic, and builds consensus even if compromise is necessary. Obama has only proved to be a realistic agent of change rather than some idealistic ideologue.
My true disappointment does not lie with the president, but with myself and my generation. Our moment of empowerment seems to have been fleeting. We forgot that casting one vote is not enough. Our constituency is being ignored even when we are the ones who are lacking health insurance, feeling the sting of unemployment and the burden of debt, and dying in foreign wars. We have lapsed back into an apathetic status quo and refuse to become involved and engaged.
The movement did not end on Nov. 4, 2008. Obama’s message during the campaign was about understanding our individual capacity for change. Our votes changed the leadership of this country, and voices can continue to change our communities and push for the issues we believe in. Real change doesn’t come from the top, it comes from the bottom.
This involves voting in local municipal elections or calling your congressional representative about health care. It is not easy, but who said it was? The president needs partners if he is going to succeed in these difficult times, and it is time for those us who supported him one year ago to stand up again.
Matt Verghese is a graduate student in public policy. He can be reached at verghese at umdbk dot com.
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