Barack Obama: A Vote for Hope

The American people have spoken. They have spoken for change—and change is exactly what they’ll get—for better or for worse.

The funny thing about change, is that everyone seems to always emphatically seek it. Our lives are not perfect. In fact, we seem to be unhappy far more than we would like. The idea of the ‘American Dream,’ whereby our greatest desires are fulfilled through the sweat of our brows, is all too distant from the average American. We seek change, because along with change comes the hope that our lives can be better tomorrow than they are today; hope that our dreams may eventually be realized.

It is for this reason alone that we cannot be surprised about the outcome of tonight’s election. It should also come as no surprise, then, that in four years—or perhaps eight if all goes well—there will be another republican in the White House.

And so I lay here in bed this evening, unable to sleep, as the college students of Cornell University parade in the streets of Collegetown, chanting for the change they have so passionately sought. Cars continually drive by, beeping their horns over and over, as exuberant college students repeat the name they believe will be the catalyst toward a brighter future. Despite my annoyance with the noise, I find the cheerful air satisfying and heart-warming.

But as I lay here, at 1:30AM, I can’t help but wonder whether their exuberance is borne of the impending policy changes, or merely of hope. I would venture to guess that such celebrations are not unique to Cornell’s College Avenue, and that they are occurring the world over. If the prospect of change indeed brings hope, and hope leads people to believe in a brighter tomorrow, then the self-fulfilling prophecy will be served. Obama may not have to change a single policy or pass a single statute to restore the economic and social welfare of our nation. His very presence in the White House, as a symbol of change, will in fact lead our country to a better future. Perhaps this cycle of change isn’t so bad after all.