A Special Night

The Massachusetts delegation was sitting on the left of the stadium. I arrived fairly early, around 2:30pm. The stadium was already beginning to fill up. After a couple of hours, I looked around could not help but feel that this was history in the making. People were dancing, embracing, making waves throughout the stadium. Imagine 80,000 people waiving American flags with smiles on their faces! People were proud and excited to be there, there was no doubt. I was nervous, that good kind though. I was ready to hear what the unlikely Democratic nominee for President of the United States was going to say.

There were three specific moments that stood out for me. One was when Obama said, (referring to the last 8 years of failed Republican administration and policies) “Enough!” That word and its power resonated throughout the entire stadium. The sea of American flags, reclaiming that symbol not as a sign of domination and power but of patriotism and pride. For me, that was the most powerful moment. It was when I saw the leader I needed to see: the one who is willing to take a bold stand for what is right and not be afraid of the consequences; the one who is respectful of his opponents, yet firm with his convictions; the one who is ‘fired up and ready to go’. A friend of mine today said: “It’s like he was drawing a line on the sand.” I loved that image because for so long I have felt that the leaders of the party were way too much concerned with what they thought they should say instead of what they really felt. With his speech, Obama re-established my hope in the Democratic Party and reaffirmed the reasons for deciding to come to Denver. I left feeling that my efforts in politics is not in vain and a renewed hope in the potential of this country.

The other moment was towards the end of the speech when Obama said “This [campaign] is not about me. It has always been about you.” I thought he showed tremendous humility in that statement. This is the essence of what has defined his campaign: it is a movement way beyond Barack Obama. It’s about the American people. The third defining moment of his speech for me was when he said “History has taught us that in defining moments in our country change does not come from Washington it comes to Washington.” Reminding us to take charge of reclaiming our power to make change for this country and our lives. This is what I love about this campaign. It motivates us to move away from depending on our leaders and taping into our own power to make change together.

I doubt very much that the Republican Party, with all of their political tactics, can top this Convention next week, let alone inspire the American people in this way.