Obama Victory Leaves Historical Mark on Politics and Individuals

>> Years from now, when I'm old and too cynical for my own good, I will still be able to clearly remember exactly where I was the night Barack Obama was elected the 44th president of the United States of America.

Dressed as professionally as possible in a black skirt and my first ever "I voted!" sticker, I showed up to local radio and television station KRCB to be an intern-for-one-night as the election results were broadcast.

Being an intern isn't glamorous (I helped take out the trash, arranged food on the buffet, and carried towering stacks of pizza from Costco), but it drops you right into the center of the action.

All night, a steady stream of local politicians came and went through KRCB's doors.

Assemblyman Jared Huffman arrived with an "Obama Biden 2008" button pinned proudly to his lapel and Lynn Woolsey was all smiles, having just won re-election to her position in the House of Representatives.

The modest KRCB building was transformed into an epicenter of political energy, overflowing with people, young and old.

Between trips up and down the long, narrow hallways, I checked the flat-screen television in the lobby, full of anticipation as state after state was called. I held my breath every time the electoral votes were recalculated, trying to add up the extra votes California would represent, trying to make the numbers equal 270.

I watched with other Sonoma State students who were there to volunteer. It was a wonderful event to share with others who cared just as much, if not more, about the results as I did. Our contributions to the historic night were humble, but they made us part of history.

Political differences that could easily have turned explosive were discussed intelligently and sensitively. The spirit of the evening seemed particularly designed to foster friendship, and I left with the feeling that you cannot share something so profound with others and still feel like complete strangers.

And suddenly in a rush, like a nation wide domino effect, Pennsylvania, then Ohio, then Virginia, then Florida was projected blue, and two years of anticipation came to a close.

When Obama gave his acceptance speech, he claimed his campaign "grew strength from the young people who rejected the myth of their generation's apathy." He was speaking to millions of Americans across the country, but he was also speaking directly to me.

We are at the beginning of a new political age. Regardless of the quality of his presidency, Obama represents an important shift in politics. He has energized a new generation of young voters.

According to The New York Times, somewhere between 21.6 and 23.9 million Americans in the age group from 18 to 29 years voted. Of those young voters, up from about 19.4 million in 2004, 66 percent supported Obama. Washington D.C. is no longer the domain of the old and cynical.

The often spoken of but rarely seen youth vote made history to prove just how much political power we youth really do hold.

Despite accusations, I am not apathetic, and I don't believe the rest of my generation is.

I felt like I was part of something bigger and more exciting than just me as I cast my ballot on Nov. 4, speaking out about a war I will spend the rest of my life paying for and environmental issues that I believe cannot wait.

Obama is symbolic of the change we achieved, but that change came from an unprecedented groundswell of enthusiasm from young men and women who found themselves at the very heart of the political action, and who have renewed faith in the American dream, even for someone from very humble means, there is nothing out of reach.

Reprinted from The Sonoma State Star [www.sonomastatestar.com]