{image by Gui Borchet}

 

 My political knowledge of the US stems from seven seasons of the West Wing. Even after logging over 100 hours of watching the Bartlett administration I’m still not entirely sure what a caucus is and I still don’t understand how the person who gets the most votes doesn’t win. That said, I don’t think that without the West Wing I would be such a fervent Obama supporter.

 

You may ask what one has to do with the other, I would. It was, however, because of the West Wing that I started to believe in the movement that became to be known as Obamamania. Make no mistake; what newly installed US President Barack Obama represents is nothing less than a movement. As much as I believe and support that movement now, it wasn’t until I learnt that the character of Matt Santos in the West Wing was based on Barack Obama, that I started to think that this man might be able to make a difference.

 

After seven years of being invested in Bartlett’s White House, and wishing that it was more than just a TV show it was hard to accept that anyone else could lead the country. Then Matt Santos came along. Here he was, a young senator with some radical ideas who you thought if given the chance, he just might be able to change the world. When he spoke he instilled hope. He made you believe again. Sound familiar?

 

President Obama doesn’t have the Bartlett legacy to contend with, but I don’t believe that the task set before him will be any less difficult. There’s no nice way of saying it: the world is a mess. The problems the President outlined in his inaugural address are not limited to the borders of the US. The economic crisis is a global one and the world’s markets reflect this. Health care and education reform are issues every country faces; not to mention the ever growing need to address climate change and find a peaceful resolution to those battles tearing the world apart. All of these issues, and more, the US – and the rest of the world, is turning to this man to fix.

 

He won’t be able to do it alone. He will have to seek advice from the leading thinkers not only in the US but around the world. He will have to make tough decisions that won’t always be popular, and we are unlikely to see any immediate fixes. In fact, things may get worse before they even begin to look as though they’re getting better. He will need the support of the world’s governments if he is to make any real change.

 

The Philippines has always been an ally to the US. We share a bond with America and her leaders in a way we have been unable to do with any other nation. Our heroes, are theirs. Our battles, fought alongside them. Our dreams, similar to those of their people. Our choice in politicians though, thankfully - or not, in some cases, is something we don’t quite mirror. I don’t expect that to change with President Obama’s administration.

 

He will need allies, old and new, to support him when he turns to the global issues like security, poverty, and climate change. He will, no doubt, turn to the Philippines at this time and I am sure we will support him. If we are familiar with anything, it is adversity and the firm belief that a leader supported by their people can change the world. This aspect of history we do most certainly share.

 

Knowing the daunting task before him, he is still someone who can stand up, with the eyes of the world upon him and proclaim that he is ready to make a difference, that he will not only stare down all the challenges ahead of them – he will meet them, he is willing to be that force of change we need.

 

I fully expect the world, and in particular the Philippines, to be leading the charge not behind, but alongside him. America is “ready to lead once more.” With this man at the helm, I for one can’t wait.

Posted on 20 February 2009 by Gemma in Culture, Politics

Tagged barack obama, change, president