Now the real work begins for Barack Obama, the nation’s Community Organizer in Chief

GoneGator    Politics     Barack Obama, Rudy Giuliani, Sarah Palin

A couple of days before Election Day, I noted the irony of a community organizer ending the Republican hold on the White House, given how Rudy Giuliani and Sarah Palin had mocked Barack Obama’s background to the cheers of thousands at the Republican convention.

Here’s a video reminder:

Obama won the presidency precisely because of his experience as a grass-roots organizer. His campaign harnessed the power of the people — and the Internet, the most democratic medium ever conceived — to inspire a nation and build a populist political machine.

This represents nothing short of a sea change in American politics and hopefully in how the nation governs itself. I think Obama realizes that he is now the nation’s Community Organizer in Chief.

From his victory speech:

The road ahead will be long. Our climb will be steep. We may not get there in one year or even one term, but America – I have never been more hopeful than I am tonight that we will get there. I promise you – we as a people will get there.

There will be setbacks and false starts. There are many who won’t agree with every decision or policy I make as President, and we know that government can’t solve every problem. But I will always be honest with you about the challenges we face. I will listen to you, especially when we disagree. And above all, I will ask you join in the work of remaking this nation the only way it’s been done in America for two-hundred and twenty-one years – block by block, brick by brick, calloused hand by calloused hand.

The campaign does not end here — it only shifts its focus to fulfilling the promise of change.

To the hundreds of thousands of volunteers, including myself and many friends who pounded the pavement in the closing days: Don’t stop now. Stay active. Organize. Call and write your Congressional representatives as Obama pushes legislation to effect changes we desperately need.

Obama needs our help now more than ever.

If you enjoyed this article please consider sharing it!