Congratulations! Now you can be co-opted too!

The following are thoughts I had on the night of November 4th, 2008.
Tonight Barack Obama won the presidential election.
Regardless of your political stripe, I think most can agree that much has been said and I think legitimately appreciated about this election. Tonight Mr. Obama said (I paraphrase) "for any of you who wonder whether the American Dream is still alive - tonight is your answer. Tonight is a victory for the American People!" I wondered would this Country have been a lesser place if McCain had legitimately won the election? Would a popular vote in favor of the republican candidate been some sort of defeat for democracy? I think not. The beauty of the American election process is that every election that results in the candidate with the most popular support winning, is a victory for the American people.
However, the election of an African American to the presidential office does signify a new page in American history. At the very least and most cynical point of view, it shows a willingness to allow a man of color to be co-opted into the presidential political process. Because Obama won, we have a positive affirmation that being black is not enough to automatically disqualify you from being president of the United States of America. In that sense tonight's election is a victory for democracy. That is something to be celebrated, but it is no panacea. Now it means men of color can embody "The Man," make gross misjudgments, align themselves with interests that seem to be, or are actually, at odds with the interests of the country. This is indeed a step forward, and I don't mean that sarcastically. It is the growing up of America and the whole African American population. Once an adult, a child can no longer claim parental abuse. What's more important, parents and children can come to terms with one another on equal grounds. Understand one another. It should be to the great relief of the tired old white man that there now is another kind of man that will shoulder the responsibilities they have until now, so zealously guarded.