Awake last night at 3 AM on the final eve of a primary contest that has redefined American politics. It has also redefined me as a Democrat and a citizen. I have worried and wondered, I have threatened and cajoled. I have shared the breathless anticipation of today's outcome with supporters on both sides of the divide. As those of us in the Obama camp prepare to celebrate, my heart goes out to the thousands and thousands of folks who gave tirelessly of their time and talent on behalf of Hillary Clinton. I have condemned the Clinton camp for deplorable tactics and questionable values, but the passion of her supporters and the ferocious will of the woman herself are the stuff of legend.
The call that keeps me awake at night, the call that worries me most is not some hypothetical crisis reported at 3 AM via the infamous "red telephone", but rather the call to action we face as a nation and as leaders of the free world. The problems we face are not hypothetical and they will not be solved in Washington, D.C. -- we must gather the forces of our citizenry and move this country forward or lose our place at the head of the pack.
There are a lot of folks in Washington shaking their heads. The common wisdom of the people has prevailed over the common "wisdom" of the punditry. They secretly believed that this day would never come, and already whole news segments are devoted to the question of whether America will elect a black president. They just don't get it. This was not about electing a woman or a black man. Hillary Clinton offered reassurance, a return to better days and the possibility of a good nights sleep. Ted Kennedy saw in Barack Obama the possibility of electing leader who like his brothers before him, could inspire us once again to dream.
I met with Ted Kennedy a few years ago in his hide-away office on the Hill beneath the great Senate chamber. It was shortly after John Kerry had won the nomination. Kennedy looked weary, like a man who had many sleepless nights of his own. I remember asking him about our economic platform and how we were going to make our case against the war. I was passionate, one might say adamant, and he regarded me with sad blue eyes that conveyed a hint of irony. "My dear," he said, lifting his legendary gaze upward. "Every time that bell rings up there, something dreadful is about to happen to your country. I am answering that call every day." I was quieted, but also reassured. The lion of the Senate was standing guard at the gate. He would walk up there, ignoring the pain from his bum hip and do what he could to protect our constitution and the soul of our party.
The Kennedy family is as conflicted and inspiring as America itself. They appear at once brave and reckless, wise and naïve, weary and indefatigable. They have their differences: Some will be at Hillary headquarters tonight, others will be in Iowa with Obama. They have their black sheep and a few have served jail time. They have seen great tragedy and have taught us all about courage as we watched them draw themselves up and together. We have wept as time and again they have walked slowly up the cathedral steps to face God's will and then return to public life to face their own destiny, each one a study in courage, a testament to faith.
The single most moving moment of many moving moments during this campaign was the sight of Maria Shriver joining her cousins on stage at a rally on behalf of Barack Obama in Los Angeles. She is married to California's Republican governor and has neatly negotiated that awkward territory with grace and humor. She has remained neutral in public and for the most part has refrained from offering her own views. This was a brave gesture; a singular moment offered up by a woman who could have avoided controversy by merely steering toward home.
She had dropped her daughter off at the ranch and driven straight on to the stadium. Her hair disheveled and her beautiful face devoid of any trace of make-up, she addressed the crowd with complete candor. Her words were unadorned, unrehearsed and absolutely earnest, a response to a daughter's pleas to help the man she believes can change the nation and offer hope for her future. The speakers who preceded her were eloquent, but none so moving as Shriver, the mother who strode into the spotlight in her morning clothes, laying bare her soul and bringing a tear to every eye as she took a stand on behalf of her child. When this nomination process comes to a close, the Kennedy family we will work tirelessly to elect a Democrat and so must we all.
The Kennedys have ever stood for the values that we claim for America; they are a large diverse clan who have shown courage in the face of catastrophe, loyalty to conscience as well as family. They are hard working, steadfast and complicated. They are as comfortable with a football as they are in the presence of finery. If the Kennedys are any indication, then America, for all its suffering and short-comings will surely prevail.
Tonight we will nominate an African American man for the presidency of a nation which once enslaved his ancestors. A man whose candidacy relied on average citizens to defeat sophisticated party machinery. We have prevailed by drawing ourselves up and together and we have redefined the political landscape. And so we enter a new, hopeful time in American history. The clarion call of "let the healing begin" has implications beyond our party. We must heal as a nation and then reconstruct our relationship with other nations and with the very ground beneath our feet, with the Earth itself.
Obama has been likened to John F. Kennedy on many occasions. His oratory virtuosity and his ability to inspire are reminiscent of the great leader who dared our parents to share his vision. There are many similarities to both John and Robert Kennedy in the Obama lexicon, but the campaign owes its heart to Teddy.
Ted Kennedy is facing what will most certainly be the fight of his life. The great lion is wounded and will not be in Iowa on this historic night, but the Kennedy spirit will be there in force. This victory owes much to the big man with the sad blue eyes. His endorsement was not made of political convenience, but of conviction. Barack Obama may be reminiscent of John Kennedy, but it's Ted's spirit that defines the campaign. It is with Ted's stubborn, defiant belief in the American way that we have come to this day. Every great man stands upon the shoulders of those who came before him and also of those who stand by his side. Barack Obama's rise is rooted in the political context of John and Robert Kennedy, but it's Teddy -- the people's Democrat -- who has given him his wings. So tonight let's raise a glass: "To the Lion. Long may he live and may he live on."
Loading comments…
Posted May 21, 2008 | 12:35 PM (EST)