For too many decades now, the American people have shrugged their shoulders and thought they couldn’t make a difference in the voting booth. On Tuesday, Nov. 4, they were proven wrong. While I didn’t support Barack Obama for president, I was thrilled to see the groundswell of activity and hope he brought out of those who did support him.
This is the United States as a democracy. This is the people standing up to be counted. This is what makes the United States of America the best place in the world to call home.
I am worried that the giddiness people feel right now will lead to a big letdown when the reality of the current Washington political machine kicks in, and kicks the hopes and dreams of Barack Obama’s best intentions to the curb.
Only when we truly wake up and realize there is more to the governing of this country than can be handled by just Democrats or Republicans will we truly see something different and special. There were many people on the ballots across the country on Nov. 4 who were ignored by the media. The Libertarian Party, the Green Party, and many others stood up and tried to have their voices heard only to be dismissed by the media and the voters.
People often complain that “Washington is broken.” Well, it’s broken because we’ve allowed a two-party system to maintain control for too long. Washington is broken because both of the major parties are competing to prove to America that the political system cannot be fixed.
If Obama showed us anything, it’s that hope is still alive in this country. Great, now let’s start hoping for an end to politics as usual and an end to the tyranny of a two-party system.
Here Comes Later 
For me, the best part of this election was how the Obama campaign engaged its audience. Obama supporters asked me if I have voted and they asked me if I had any questions. Having a team of volunteers to go out and be your advocate is probably what gave him the victory. The Obama campaign also had a huge presence online, and social media was proven its worth in this election. It’s going to be interested to see if the Republicans catch on to these trends in the next election.
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One of the things I hope will come from this election is that Americans will stop complaining about Washington and politics and stand up, get involved, be counted and accountable. To me, Obama was/is a motivational figure who energized people who are disillusioned with the status quo. It seems like he can motivate the younger population to become involved in a way that they never thought of before, which I think is the best win for America.
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