Without doubt, my decision to vote for Barack Obama for president began when I watched his televised speech to the Democratic Convention in 2004. Today on the cold page of the computer printout, it loses something. Outside of the electrifying moment of his delivery, the speech contains less than I remembered. But what is there explains the reverberations in so many parts of my inherited mental and moral universe.

Obama’s telling of his—and our—American story rang true to our struggles, ideals, and times, from his opening expression of “deep gratitude for the privilege of addressing this convention” to his closing prayer that out of trouble and cynicism “our country will reclaim its promise.” For living in these times has entailed a growing acquaintance with what Bob Dylan termed “the morals of despair.” From the “culture of greed,” as Kevin Phillips put it, and the obscene rich/poor gap to unilateralism and a deadly and costly war, family and community disintegration, immoral business and political practices, and economic collapse, sources of self-respect and respect in the world are hard to find. Obama echoes the call of some of our keenest social critics for a remoralization of politics and society. Wendell Berry, for one, has emphasized the need for an attitude of “stewardship” as an alternative to exploitation, manipulation, aggression, and selfishness. This message, not traceable to current notions of Republican and Democrat, recalls our commitments to the humbling, soul-leveling inspiration that is democracy, the dignity of hard work, individual and communal responsibility, and unity beyond race and other false boundaries.

Whether Obama follows through on this clarion call if elected is the question. An all-Democratic federal government cannot help but raise worries about best intentions lost in the wake of a latter-day welfare state or a new lease on life for the entitlement mentality. In an ideal world, I might have more confidence in a McBama ticket, with Obama’s antiwar stance, pro-middle-class policies, and deep sense of humanity and McCain’s long record of independent-mindedness, fiscal conservatism, and promotion of individual initiative and responsibility. Obama reminds us that far from threatening it, dissent is a crucial component of love of country; McCain practices this principle with courage. The candidates’ reflections on their own life stories bear an uncanny resemblance that appears to transcend political purposes. Both seem truly humbled by the struggles they faced and indebted to this country for whatever grace they have enjoyed. As such, either would be a great advance beyond the current mindless, heartless, and soulless administration that has caused nearly fatal damage to our democratic aspirations.

Yet neither one is what we really need. A leader in a democracy is no better and no worse than the people he serves, since it is the people and not the leaders that govern: despite the nonsense of our celebrity culture and the ever present corrupting potential of political popularity, a leader is just one of the people. For any significant change to occur, all must help through their everyday behavior, just as these two men have, at their best, embodied our ideals through their words and actions. Taking inspiration, each of us must make our humble contribution to our collective destiny and prove the I, me, mine mentality of recent times does not reflect what we wish to be. This seems the basis of the vision and spirit of defiant hope Obama is invoking. If he does win the election it will be up to us to remind him, our other political leaders, and ourselves of just what he stands for—or what we thought he stood for when we elected him—just as he is reminding so many Americans of what we stand for. And what we do not. 

Elisabeth Lasch-Quinn teaches history at Syracuse University. She is the author of Race Experts: How Racial Etiquette, Diversity Training, and New Age Therapy Hijacked the Civil Rights Revolution.

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