The Platform Is Bigger Than The Man

A pause that refreshes

Complaints about our president and his politics seem to have obscured the fact that along with electing Obama, we also bought into his platform, consciously or not. While the man, himself, may fade in his celebrity, perhaps, what may remain could be the platform he brought us; a president’s legacy already in the making. For a change, a message that is potentially bigger than the man! Memorable in the same way as John F. Kennedy’s words, “Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country.”

Doesn’t this message of JFK’s that moved an entire generation suggest that maybe we should stop bitching and moaning? We are to be working for the man; the good of our president, rather then Obama for us. Reciprocity would be the ideal but so what? Isn’t that what JFK meant for us to do, sooner or later?

Or, perhaps, all that is happening here is just another way of looking at our collective karma.

No matter, take a moment for a pause that might possibly refresh. What does “refresh” mean anyway these days, if not clicking on an icon that prompts the opening of a new page when the old one is stale and stuck? Hasn’t Obama led us to do just that? Haven’t we now clicked on the Obama icon that’s stuck and gotten ourselves a new page?

Here’s my take; a refreshing viewpoint, I would hope. I suggest that we, at least, take a moment and applaud Obama’s election for what it has brought us. Here I offer a brighter look than the run-of-the mill we have been taking up as our recent daily fare. After all, with all the attention, these days, on the love and light supposed to save us, how about a little of that on behalf of our president?

Who said we need a Messiah in the White House anyway. How about spreading that love and light on over to the White House? How about sending the intention for caring, compassion and forgiveness to Pennsylvania Avenue? Take a look at that idea of sending love as an option for sharing and caring and seeing those higher truths and clarity so often expounded these days by those with lesser jobs.

If we take a fresh look, we can even see that we Americans might actually be winning just when we are caught up complaining about all that we’ve lost. Hold onto this one as a part of your new paradigm thinking. By electing Barak Obama as our president, we also did elect his platform. Those of us who are idealists should particularly note this point, lest we become too cocksure and righteous with our judgments and blame, as the wisdom of our finally growing up takes hold.

Obama has, perhaps, ushered in a new image of Americans, akin to the power and the significance of an Arab Spring, if we, ambitiously want to carry it that far. We can see that with a bit of gratitude, can’t we?

My memory picture of Obama’s election win was that his platform called on America’s grassroots to become much more active in making a better America. That included the silent majority and middle America, didn’t it? Doesn’t that same segment of the population now include those who are offering their two cents, if not their sleeping bags, in support of one night or more on a chilly park ground in the service of protest?

With his election, Obama lifted the spirits of a nation, already disheartened by the economy, terrorism and various military involvements in the Middle East, asking us to expand our activism on our own behalf. So that WE could, once again, do great things that would make us stand up and be proud of ourselves. This is an action role that demands courage and perseverance. Who has the guts now to really walk that walk? Truly be a part of the solution, rather than just talking about our problems?

Well, come on, now. Aren’t some Americans doing just that; being an active part of the solution, with the Occupy Wall Street protests? This is a grassroots movement if there ever was one. Maybe people need to stand back, take a pause and refresh. We elected a platform that is bigger than the man. America 2008 seemed ready for grassroots action. And, now we’ve got it.

Maybe we are disappointed and don’t like the messenger any more than we did before. Perhaps, even a good deal less. (That fits for me who never bought into the "Obama as icon" thing in the first place. Nor do I know for certain my to-be-held viewpoint on Occupy Wall Street right now.)

In the meantime, how about taking a pause to refresh and spending, at least, one moment celebrating the message? Perhaps we do have cause to rejoice these days. For a change we signed on to a platform that was bigger than a man. Bravo. Our democracy works!

As for me, personally, I am still a long ways away from knowing who will get my vote next year at this time.