This Election Was About Promise and Potential

With the turnout of the election on everyone's mind, I thought I would share with you
a beautiful email written by my good friend Andy...


"I started and stopped drafting this e-mail several times this morning, as I'm a little overwhelmed by the moment and its implications for not only our great country, but the world at large.

You see, this election wasn't just about an African-American candidate, or a war hero, or even a governor from Alaska. It was about promise and potential; about the chance to look at the ways we can reform the process of government and being governed; about how small steps can add up to major, previously inconceivable, opportunities for the disenfranchised; about how every person on this planet is created equal and has the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

That last phrase - life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness - I'm sure you agree with its premise, but perhaps you think it's a little idealistic given the realities of our world and the lure that power can have for the few that grab it at the expense of the many. I wonder sometimes if our jaded, cynical nature hinders our ability to see the opportunities that are right in front of us.

This morning, however, hope has overcome cynicism. Truth has overcome stereotype. The rhetoric of fear has been replaced with an innate sense possibility. And for the first time in my life, I feel a tangible, moral obligation to participate in, rather than merely commentate on, the change happening in our country.

After every election, we hear that the time has come to unite behind the winner, to reach across the aisle to create meaningful change, to put aside the slings and arrows that mark every political debate, to step forward as a nation rather than factions who point fingers at those who don't hold the same beliefs. Today, that call is more important than its ever been, and it's something that's relevant - and recognized - on a global level.

Certainly, there is a lot of work to do. Our economy is in ruins. Our education system is broken. Healthcare is expensive and out of reach for a growing portion of our citizenry. Social Security will be bankrupt sooner than most of us want to admit. Terrorism is alive and it's not going away. The deterioration of the environment is real and our "footprint" will impact not only our experience in this world, but that of our children and grandchildren as well.

As I think about each of these issues, it is easy to get bogged down in the enormity of it all, to wonder how we even begin to address these problems. But at the same time, I can't help but feel like we've just reached a new starting line, and the rules of engagement have changed. In 1965, we passed the Voting Rights Act, and less than 50 years later we have an African American president. That was a new starting line in history and look where we are today.

Hopefully, 50 years from now the sentiment will be, "why was the 2008 election such a big deal?" If that comes to pass, it means we'll have built on this latest step forward to create a new reality - a reality that is based on hope and opportunity, on "why not?" rather than "no chance."

We have a long road ahead of us and we will all make mistakes in our pursuit of change. But it's not how we place blame for those mistakes that will matter most - it's how we learn from our mistakes and take meaningful, corrective action that's the real imperative.

The campaign for change is over, but the fun is just getting started. Americans are known for sacrificing and working hard when the dream is there for the taking. I hope you'll join me in the pursuit."

-Andy