The American bias against a black president ended last Nov. 4, 2008 with the runaway victory of Barack Obama over Republican John McCain.
The racial barrier is as old as America. however, 145 years ago, Abraham Lincoln, a fellow Illinois politicians, issued the emancipation act the freed African- Americans from enslavement. In a way, that opened the door for Obama.
The world has hailed Barack's victory. His dramatic victory statement---"Change has come to America"----will surely stimulate a lot of expectations and countless commentaries.
Breaking the last barrier with the election of the first black president is not the only change that happened. There are other changes worth mentioning that might strike a favorable chord among Filipinos.
The first is still a hope, an expectation. Citizens of the world cheered the election of Obama for, as one newspaper said, " ratcheting hopes that he would herald a more balanced and less controversial America."
When he started to seek the presidency, Obama was pictured as a relative unknown and inexperienced. Although a senator, he was only a first termer and really did not belong to the "Old Boys Network."
Given the right credentials, can a candidate in this country win without a high pedigree, without the blessings of the dominant and ruling parties, without the support of a political dynasty, without the name-recall of an entertainment idol?
Obama was a community worker. In our local elections, NGOs and even church workers don't make it to the winniing circle. They are sometimes lumped together as activists, militants and leftists.Do they now have hope after Obama's win?
By American standards, Obama was poor compared to McCain. Obama did not rely on big organizations and rich friends. Will the day come when people stop asking money from candidates, or better still contribute to the campaign of poor but qualified candidates?
The last lesson is the George W. Bush factor. Candidates should not be pulled down by his closed association with an unpopular outgoing leader. Ideally, a candidate should come out the winner according to his own merits.
A big change happened in America; it could also happen here in the Philippines that i pray. Nothing is impossible just believe my friends.
