The speech Barack Obama delivered last Thursday in Denver lasted about 45 minutes and consisted of roughly 4,700 words. But in all that time, of all those words, one word in particular resonated with me more than any other:
"Enough!" (get the t-shirt here!)
More than any other jab at Bush-McCain, of which there were many, or any other rhetorical flourish, of which there were also many, as you would expect, this one word touched me like no other he uttered in the entire speech -- or the entire campaign. Let me try to explain why after the jump.
I find it an astonishing feat of oratory that Barack Obama could, with just one word, capture everything I've been feeling, everything so many of us have been feeling over the last eight years, express those feelings, provide cathartic release for them and plant within those feelings a seed of hope.
And what are those feelings? I won't pretend to speak for anyone here, but I can certainly share mine:
Anger at the Bush Administration, for all the damage it has caused our country, some of which will take decades to repair, if it can be repaired at all.
Sadness for all the lives that have been ruined under Bush's rule; for the millions of families that are broke or on the brink of financial ruin thanks to Bush's economic policies; for the millions who have died prematurely and unnecessarily, and the millions more that suffer still, because of lack of affordable health care; for the soldiers killed or maimed in Iraq, their families, and the millions of innocent Iraqis who share their fate; for the Katrina dead and displaced; in short, for everything this country has become.
Frustration with so many of our "leaders" who have consistently failed to live up to that title by caving to Bush again, and again, and again.
Embarrassment for what the rest of the world thinks of us and how they see America today: as a bully, a joke, or both. Embarrassment for having a cruel, incompetent, dishonest, boorish "president" who not only revels in his ignorance and lack of intellectual curiosity, but can't even, as he himself would probably say, talk good.
Anxiety over the future of the country. Will our wages and standard of living continue to slip? Will my children, if I ever have any, have a better life than me? Will this even be a democratic republic in 20 or 50 years?
Shame because we (the American people) let this all happen -- because we've allowed a tiny minority of money-grubbing, fire-eating radicals to take over our government and pervert it beyond recognition.
Regret for what could've been under a President Gore -- who would've hopefully marginalized a Vice President Lieberman. (If those last three words don't make you cringe, nothing can.)
I'm sure I'm not alone in holding all these feelings; last Thursday with one word, Obama gave voice to all of them. But he did so much more.
Again, I can only speak for myself, but I'm sure many here would agree. The last eight years have felt like a never ending nightmare; like a vicious mental, emotional and spiritual beating that might seemingly go on forever. Bullies seldom stop beating their prey until they're confronted. Abusive spouses seldom stop beating their partners unless they have no choice. On Thursday, Barack Obama summoned our nation to wake up from this nightmare, to confront its abusers once and for all, and to at long last force them to stop.
Finally, with that one utterance -- "enough!" -- Obama gave us hope by showing America his strength and determination to fight. I think back to President Lincoln's comment about General Grant: "I like this general -- he fights!" We now, too, have a general who will fight. A general who will not cede the battleground of foreign policy and national security to the Republicans and hope he won't be attacked as being "weak" on defense. In fact, he will not hesitate to strike directly at this so-called Republican strength. From the speech:
You don't defeat a terrorist network that operates in eighty countries by occupying Iraq. You don't protect Israel and deter Iran just by talking tough in Washington. You can't truly stand up for Georgia when you've strained our oldest alliances. If John McCain wants to follow George Bush with more tough talk and bad strategy, that is his choice - but it is not the change we need.
We are the party of Roosevelt. We are the party of Kennedy. So don't tell me that Democrats won't defend this country. Don't tell me that Democrats won't keep us safe. The Bush-McCain foreign policy has squandered the legacy that generations of Americans -- Democrats and Republicans - have built, and we are here to restore that legacy.
All this Obama accomplished (at least for me) with one word. It was an unusual choice, too, one filled with genuine outrage and exasperation, when other politicians might have made a tired, trite choice. Obama is very precise writer who chooses his words carefully to convey exactly what he means.
I believe his choice of words in this case reflects his true feelings about the last eight years. He's had enough. I believe America, too, has had enough and is ready for change -- and hope.
Please pardon the cut-off quotes...can't edit them now--sorry!